It's hard to imagine somebody wanting to harm a plant — but for one unlucky gardener, a long-cared-for topiary became the victim of senseless destruction.
They posted a photo of the aftermath on Reddit, writing, "Neighbor's boyfriend destroyed my topiary in a fit of rage."
Explaining that it had been a "3-tier bushy plant with strong roots and great leaf growth" that wound up snapped in half, they asked if there was anything they could do to salvage the plant. In the photo, its stem can be seen poking out from a cluster of leaves.
"This thing has been my baby that I saved from near-death and it's so frustrating to see it go like this," they lamented. "My girlfriend said something about grafting it back together but I'm worried it's a lost cause. Any options?"
Several people advised that with proper care, the roots and base of the topiary may be able to be nursed back to health.
But more importantly, many others chimed in with advice to seek legal action and financial reparations.
"Call the police and report destruction of property," one urged.
"Please report this," another echoed. "Take him to small claims court if you have to. Anything to teach him this behavior isn't okay."
Unfortunately, this is far from a unique circumstance. Many people have experienced unexpected destruction of property at the hands of their neighbors, landlords, and HOAs. From applying toxic herbicides without warning to chopping down trees after a property line dispute, sometimes the greatest threat to a thriving yard is the people who live next door.
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And while it's slightly more common with the destruction and unlawful felling of trees, it is possible to seek restitution for damaged plants as well. Many states consider the destruction of plants to be the destruction of property. Some, like Ohio, have laws specifically dedicated to penalizing crimes against plants, vegetation, and crops.
"Be sure to ask (or sue) for the full cost of a tree at the size it was when destroyed, not a baby one," one commenter advised.
This is standard practice for the unlawful destruction of trees, and as it turns out, replacing a fully mature tree is quite expensive. One wealthy couple in Maine, for example, had to pay $1.7 million in fines after poisoning their neighbor's trees for a better view.
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