Native Plants
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Wednesday - April 02, 2008
From: buda, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Tag on oak tree in Buda, TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I found a large oak tree on my property with a tag that has a number on it. Any idea what that means?ANSWER:
No, frankly we don't have a clue. Let us ask some questions that might lead you to where that tag came from and whether it's significant. Did it just show up recently or has it been there for some time? If it's been there for some time, and it's on your property, we believe you can just snip the tag off and forget about it. It could have been put on there during construction of the house to indicate the tree was not to be disturbed, etc. If it is new, and especially if it is on easement on your property, for sidewalks, power lines, sewer lines, etc., you probably need to find out where it came from. Are you aware of any projects to put in sidewalks, widen your street or any other plans that might involve the removal of trees near the street? That would probably require a call to the city of Buda, tell them you want to know if any easements are being considered for clearing on your street. If the tree is under electric lines, it may need to be trimmed to keep it from being a danger to the lines, in which case a call to the utility company that serves your home is in order. We're pretty sure that, even if the tree is on an easement, that you have to be at least notified of the plans in advance by whatever authority is planning to do anything to the tree in question.
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