Originally Posted by
Happy Feet
While out for a ride on Sumas Prairie I came across the largest diameter trunk on a Cottonwood tree I had ever seen. I even put my bike against it and took a pic. The farmer was there and I marveled at it's size and he said "yeah, but I'm gonna cut it down". He said "see all those branches there (there were a lot on the ground). Every year it drops more and I'm sick of picking them up."
Mom has a few near a vernal pool, and a couple of 4+ foot diameter ones have died off and fallen down. No doubt in my mind those would have completely destroyed a house. The remaining ones aren't looking too healthy, but they're not endangering anything but some live oaks, a disused section of cross fence and maybe a few cranes that like to nest in them because of the height.
Not sure what the diameter is on the one off my porch, but if it ever starts looking unhealthy, I'm moving before it falls. It's too big and too close to the house to remove without a serious crane.