The thing about roots is they can be soft and fleshy yet still exert incredible force.
Have you ever seen an abandoned road? Within a few years the bitumen is torn up by weeds and wattle trees growing through it. The seeds germinate and the roots find a crack and slowly swell with water and life.
Similarly, a city footpath with 40 year old fig trees tossing the slabs of concrete aside in slow motion.
There's a lot of power there - plant wisely with the mature size of the plant in mind