[Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

[nick at Ag.arizona.edu]

Nick Murphy
85641
nick at ag.arizona.edu

Hi,

We're beginning to landscape the backyard of our new home, and have considered planting a mesquite tree.  One of our builder's representatives recommended against it, however, saying that their large root systems can cause problems with our fence, foundation, etc.  Has anybody heard of this?  If so, is there a rule of thumb for how far to plant a mesquite from the nearest structure?

Thanks!
Nick