Yes, it's the same tree. Most of you who have participated on our local tree tours have seen it in person. The house is an older home that was resided, but not as old as the tree. And the current owner does have the tree visited regularly by a certified arborist, who told him "I would never cut that tree down! I'll prune it for you, and inspect it for you, and cable it if necessary, but if you ever want it murdered you'll have to find an another assasin!" (That assasin would need about $10,000 to do the job.)
Escambia is right, and many people don't consider this -- if large trees fall in a bad storm, tree tops knock off gutters but tree trunks crush framing. All the more reason to keep it healthy and inspect it regularly. In this case, healthy American elms in general are known for their outstanding ability to stand up to wind, and the root system of this tree is well anchored except on the house side. This means if it falls at all it is likely to fall in the other direction (roots anchor by tensile strength). Prevailing winds here also blow from the house toward the tree, not the other way.
Every other mature elm within sight of this tree has died, but this one lives on. I just sent scions to another forum person in Minnesota, who will graft it and then test it for resistance. I took the photos while I was over there collecting the wood. Once the jury is back I'll post an update, but that probably won't be until next year.
Hey Resin! Welcome aboard! It's about time you showed up over here from GW! (Now tell us how far the tree can be from the house, in meters!) The area is well-enough drained so that water damage is not a serious threat in this case. The real concern about the foundation wall is root pressure (it's a block wall). He plans to pour a reinforcing pilaster on the inside if/when necessary. I also told him about possible air-spade work to expose the surface of the wall and examine any contacting roots.
Guy S.
