  We give a short proof that for every apex-forest $X$ on at least two
vertices, graphs excluding $X$ as a minor have layered pathwidth at most
$2|V(X)|-3$. This improves upon a result by Dujmovi\'c, Eppstein, Joret, Morin,
and Wood (SIDMA, 2020). Our main tool is a structural result about graphs
excluding a forest as a rooted minor, which is of independent interest. We
develop similar tools for treedepth and treewidth. We discuss implications for
Erd\H{o}s-P\'osa properties of rooted models of minors in graphs.
