Would redwood tree roots push through an obstruction like an in-ground concrete pool, or instead, grow around?

Question

I have a 40' tall redwood in my backyard. I'm just curious to learn more about having such a tree having never been a homeowner, let alone tree owner, before. I know the roots grow shallow and intermingle with other roots (or other things that might be a root - a water pipe for instance), but not sure what the roots will do when then hit something like a pool?

Answer 1

Don't want to cause a health hazard but roots do not have eyes. Check out the local boulevard or go to the nearest park and see the old trees growing there. If you see a rooting then there is your answer. If I was a root I would not ask if I could dip my toes in..I would just go ahead and do it. Redwoods are age old trees - if the pool is there before and the concrete is hard enough then its possible that the roots take the hint and grow downward instead of across. It'd make a hell of a dip sauce huh?

Answer 2

Redwood Tree Roots

Answer 3

Sequoia sempervirens is NOT a good choice for a small suburban lot if you wish to remain a good neighbor. Even in average soil it will quickly overwhelm the surrounding area. After growing an extensive root system, a juvenile tree will generally add five or six feet to its height each year. Its roots are very efficient at removing nutrients from you and your neighbor's soil. They are shallow and extend many feet from the tree, damaging foundations, driveways and cracking water and drain pipes. Many years after a tree's removal, the existing roots will continue to send up sprouts in the surrounding land. People don't realize redwoods can reproduce asexually. As conifer's they provide year-round heavy shade which will restrict the growth of grass and typical suburban landscaping will be limited to shade-loving plants such as ferns. Winters underneath a redwood tree are cold and wet. Redwoods control the growth of other plants around them by 'bombing' them (dropping chunks of wood and branches on competing plants and your house.)The redwood is also by nature a messy tree, dropping a third of its branchlets each year as it renews them, clogging gutters and drains. The area around a mature redwood can be littered by huge branches which can pose a hazard to homes and people. During the heyday of redwood logging falling branches earned a nickname among the loggers as "widowmakers".