Alpharetta to remove stately oak from downtown corner

A large water oak that's a familiar fixture in downtown Alpharetta has been discovered to be seriously weakened by disease, and city officials announced they will remove it during the first week in February.

The tree, at Milton Avenue and Canton Street, was examined by an arborist and found to have root rot and large hollow areas in its main trunk, the city said. It is in danger of falling, putting the public and adjacent properties at risk. To view the arborist's report: https://bit.ly/38dzcUm

“Unfortunately, it’s usually too late to stem the progress of Ganoderma root rot in a tree that has begun to show the conks and brackets that visibly signal infection and that can be found on this tree,” said David Shostak, the city’s chief arborist. “The fungus will have progressed too far for control by this time.”