You can put 1 or 2 inches of soil over the roots if you want. Rather than shaving exposed tree roots , consider shaving the concrete sidewalk or patio to make it more level. If necessary, surface roots can be removed, but it must be done properly or it could harm the tree. Tree roots showing above ground are never good news. During the dormant season, remove only one large root or two smaller ones per year. Moving the Tree. It’s not that the tree root is bursting out of the ground like some kind of tentacle. Problem with the roots of my Cherry Tree. Smaller feeder roots pull nutrients and water from the soil, and then send it to the larger roots. White Poplar. The roots of a cherry tree have two main functions. The root system of a tree is seldom on the radar for forest owners and tree lovers. I'm getting rid of small tree suckers that grow from the roots of the tree. If a tree root is exposed to the air, it’s generally because the soil left. Some trees by their very nature are prone to send up "sucker" roots eg. Roots are often exposed by the slow process of erosion. The first thing to understand is what causes the exposed roots. We mow them down but they keep coming back up. Your potted cherry tree may have come with a bamboo stake, which helped straighten the tree as it grew in its pot. Water thoroughly. If, a year or so later, you find that the soil did not hold (for whatever reason) and the roots are showing above-ground once again, repeat the procedure. Tree roots are not motile. Larger roots anchor the tree to the ground and transport nutrients and water to the rest of the tree. They make it difficult to mow your lawn, risk the blades of mowers damaging the tree roots impacting the health of the tree, possibly even killing it. Anything in the Ficus genus via below comment from Lisa. American elm (Zones 3-9): A full tree that has shallow roots that can disrupt your lawn, sidewalk or driveway; Silver maple (Zones 3-9): A tree with gorgeous, shimmery leaves that also has roots that often end up growing above the ground; Weeping willow (zones 6-8): A large shade tree … Black Locust. This tree has been plagued with root suckers for the 10 years I've had the tree. As for the exposed roots, it looks like the roots are exposed on the downhill side of the tree. Some trees, like maple, have extremely shallow roots. ... Our Cherry Tree (Pink Perfection) is about 11-12 years old and over the last few years or more we have noticed that obviously some of the roots must be coming closer to the surface and shoots are appearing on our lawn. Backfill the hole with topsoil, same as you would a bare-root cherry tree (see above). Other times "sucker" roots can be a sign a tree is in stress, and those roots have been sent up (above ground) as a survival mechanism eg. 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