Tree Removal in Penngrove, CA

Tree Removal in Penngrove often starts with a tree nobody planted on purpose in living memory. In the early 1900s this crossroads between Petaluma and Cotati was described as the second-largest egg and poultry producing area in the country, and a lot of today's homes sit on what were chicken ranches. The trees around them, eucalyptus windbreaks, walnuts, big oaks, old cypress and fruit trees, were planted for shade and shelter generations ago. Many are now very large, and some are declining.

Adobe clay and how trees fail in it

Penngrove sits at the foot of Sonoma Mountain's western flank, and its clay-like adobe soil has been used as a building material for centuries; the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park is nearby. Clay soil matters for trees. It shrinks and cracks in summer, then swells and stays saturated in winter. Roots in it tend to be shallow and wide rather than deep. After a long wet stretch, a heavy tree in adobe soil can tip over with its whole root plate. Leaning trees, cracked soil on one side of the trunk and exposed roots are signs to act on before the next storm.

County rules apply

Penngrove is unincorporated, so Sonoma County's Tree Protection Ordinance governs. Protected species, including native oaks, California black walnut, buckeye, bigleaf maple, Monterey cypress and redwood, need a zoning permit at 6 inches in diameter or more. Eucalyptus is not protected, which often makes windbreak removals simpler on paper, though not easier to do. Exemptions include trees that are dead, dying or hazardous within a home's defensible space and removal needed to maintain an existing residence.

Lichau Creek

Lichau Creek runs south through town alongside the railway and feeds the Petaluma River. Willows, alders and bays along it can fall under the county's riparian corridor rules. If your tree is near the creek, check with Permit Sonoma before scheduling.

Main Street and the rail line

Downtown is a short stretch of Main Street, about 0.3 miles, linking Old Redwood Highway and Adobe Road. Older homes nearby sit close to the road, often under overhead lines. The railway through town is active again with SMART service. Trees that could reach a line or the tracks need a plan for where every piece goes.

Sonoma Mountain views and wind

Homes on the higher ground toward Sonoma Mountain catch more wind than the valley floor. Tall eucalyptus and cypress planted as windbreaks were meant to take that wind, and after decades they carry a lot of sail. Limb drop from eucalyptus can happen on calm summer days as well as in storms, which catches people off guard. If a windbreak row stands over a driveway, a barn or a play area, it is worth having the trees looked at every few years, and removing or reducing the worst ones before they decide for you.

Practical notes

• Eucalyptus rows are heavy, oily and brittle; they are usually dismantled from the top rather than felled
• Large black walnuts may be worth milling; tell us if you want logs left long
• Chips can stay for mulch on larger parcels

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