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neibhbors’ house

More later

This was the rotting area:

Done

Neat project. How did the wood in the trunk look?

It's tough to see old trees come down, but when it's time it's time.

32-35 would make it about 90 yrs old, which would be very old for a usually shorter-lived tree. But it does look like it could be around that age. If the cut trunk remains, you could try counting rings.

When the tree is down before the stump is ground out, count the the growth rings in the stump. The number of growth rings is the age of the tree.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/archeology-dendrochronology.htm

It is a vital tool in archeology that is used in the determination of old buildings.

If you have a living tree, there is a method for taking core through the tree and then counting the rings.

In my neck of the woods, any boxelder over 15-20 years old, generally showed signs of dead stripes along the trunk or dead branches, even where soil and moisture are good.

Where I grew up (Mpls), there were many larger specimens around the neighborhood, and they all had large infestations of 'box elder bugs' residing in the dead crevasses along the trunks.

Okay, now you know everything I know about Acer negundo. ;-)

Are there any plans on a replacement tree?

Torornado, some of the wood in branches looked good. But further down the trunk, some of the tree rings were red, as if bleeding. The closer to the rotted part and down from there, the branches and trunk showed significant rotting. You can see the red areas in the last pic.

L Clark, it has been 37 years since we moved here. Not sure if I will get used to the view.

beng, I do know about counting rings, but it’s difficult to tell what’s a ring. Some are apparent and others not so much.

Knurttle I do know about counting rings, never heard of wood core. I have seen ice and ground cores. It’s a very interesting science.

BillMN, Milwaukee had a problem with Box Elder bug infestation years ago, I believe. This tree apparently was not affected. I never saw the bugs, but this morning I had a woodpecker and other ground birds in the yard on the ground, in the bushes and fence. I was thinking that perhaps a number of bugs were disrupted and the birds had a feast. No plans to replace the tree. Couldn’t put one in the same place as it’s so close to the alley. No room in my tiny backyard which has a LL Hydrangea tree. I do have a large King Crimson Maple out front as well as a Drawf Weeping Willow.
debra

One last shot of the wood and the red rings. Anyone know what that is?

debra

Not sure what it's called but back in my wood cutting days, what you show was pretty typical to see for this tree.

The above looks like a 25-30

y/o tree. Fast grower

I love to see fresh cut Bradford trunks. Wish we saw more like them. ;-)