A Damas Tree Ate My House

(Information that I received and aware of. Its a must share)

Fast growing, inexpensive and green year round, Conocarpus lancifolius or erectus, commonly known as the Damas tree quickly took root in gardens across Arabian Ranches. And took root it did.

While its lush green foliage brightens the skyline, darker issues lurk below. The dried leaves, fallen seed pods, dead shrubs, broken walls and uneven footpaths around the Damas trees only tell part of the story.

A chorus of complaints resound from residents, many of whom have spent significant amounts for rectification works:
“These big trees are damaging my boundary wall and the leaves are shedding into my villa and swimming pool.”
“My DEWA bill has unexpectedly tripled over the last few months!”
“These roots are so deep they have penetrated into my compound and are even blocking the drains in my bathroom.” .
“Roots were inside my drainage pipe and my service provider was neck deep in water trying to fix the blockage.”

Some are luckier than others. The fortunate noticed cracks in their villa boundary wall and roots pushing its way through the wall from their neighbors’ property. A quick chat with their neighbor followed by some phone calls to their gardener to arrange removal of the trees likely saved them future hassle and significant expense.

Elsewhere in the community, an interlock pathway along a park buckles and caves. A line of shrubs nearby appear faded away and a layer of dry leaves cover the ground every day, despite the housekeeping team’s daily trips to clean the area. A quick check of the community boundary wall exposes a network of cracks and faults. Is poor maintenance to blame? No, the source is above, where a canopy of Damas tree branches blot out the sky

IMPORTANT!!!!!

What to Do If You Have a Damas Tree in Your Garden:

ECM encourages complete removal of these trees due to extensive damage caused in the long run to underground services, walls and pathways as well as damage to surrounding landscaped areas. You may contact your gardener to request quotes for removal. Removal is preferred over hard trimming due to the invasive nature of the roots and long term potential for damage caused by mature trees.