A Reddit user came to the r/landscaping community for guidance after a landscaping mishap turned their crepe myrtle tree into a "crepe murdered tree."
"Any hope for this recovering come spring?" the Redditor asked, including a photo of the "butchered" tree for reference.
According to the original poster, they called a landscaper to trim the crepe myrtle tree's canopy down from about 25 feet to a more modest 15 feet, and they were completely shocked when they saw the end result.
They mentioned their plans to fertilize the tree and see if it could grow back, but they recognized the possibility that they might have to cut the tree down and start from scratch.
Trying to ensure that the tree grows back strong and healthy is a respectable project for the Redditor.
Planting trees not only beautifies yards and green spaces, but it also helps to improve our air quality and creates habitats for pollinators like bees and butterflies.
The more trees we plant and take proper care of, the more they can absorb carbon from the air and store it, which helps to cool our planet by slowing down the rate at which harmful carbon pollution builds up in the atmosphere.
Many responded to the Reddit post with their condolences and similar stories of their own struggling crepe myrtle trees.
"What an absolute tragedy!" one commenter lamented.
"While it will recover, it is such a waste of a beautiful tree," another wrote. "The landscaper needs to know that this is incorrect and internodal prunes are a no-no."
"Looks like it used to be a beautiful tree, sorry the landscaper messed it up! You'll notice the new growth will grow much straighter than the original branches. An untrained eye won't notice the difference, but your tree lost a lot of its value," a third Reddit user added.
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