Lack of care blamed for large number of trees felled

Inadequate space for growth, the wrong species and probably lax monitoring of planting may be to blame for the large number of trees knocked down by Severe Typhoon Vicente, says a tree specialist.

Ken So Kwok-yin has called for an urgent citywide inspection of trees to reduce the danger to passers-by.

'Some trees that were supposed to be fine before might now be tilted or damaged,' said So, the chief executive of the Conservancy Association.

He said the typhoon had exposed long-standing problems with urban tree management.

'We have a situation similar to that in the aftermath of Typhoon York 13 years ago,' he said. 'It means the problems have not changed much at all.'

So said his observations indicated that increasing numbers of white popinac - an exotic tree which adapts well to the local environment and grows quickly to a large size - were toppling, which might indicate a lack of proper care. 'They grow quickly but are often planted in places where they do not belong,' he said.

He estimated that half of the fallen trees might have had problems - such as decay - even before the latest typhoon, while about 30 per cent did not have enough space to grow in or had their roots and base covered by concrete.