Tree trimming is beneficial for many reasons, such as preventing disease, stopping insect damage, making trees more resilient to extreme weather, and improving safety.
However, an overpruned tree is not healthy and problematic beyond the fact that it's just an eyesore.
In a recent post to r/arborists, one Redditor shared a photo of a towering Douglas fir tree with its branches strangely cut.
"Poor Doug," the original poster wrote in the caption.
This tree photo is troubling because overtrimming reduces a tree's ecological value and weakens it. Beyond aesthetics, a weak, overtrimmed tree is less able to absorb carbon from the air to improve the air quality. Weak trees are also less able to provide stable habitats for pollinators and other wildlife and can pose a threat to people and structures.
Reddit is filled with posts from homeowners concerned about their trees' health and ability to recover after excess trimming. Another common yet harmful tree care method is leaving plastic guards — which help protect trees during transit and in other situations — on trees. Plastic products are bad for trees and the planet, which is why reducing your plastic consumption is a good idea in your yard and around your home.
Yet with proper care, trees have tremendous potential to beautify our yards, improve our air, and even help fight our planet's overheating by absorbing carbon pollution. Natural lawns filled with appropriately pruned trees also provide shade to stay cool and keep our homes cooler despite rising temperatures.
Reddit users felt sympathetic for the tree in this post and predicted that it would likely die or have to be removed soon.
"For a second, I thought it was a cell tower," one wrote.
🗣️ What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard?
🔘 Mowing the lawn 🏡
🔘 Controlling weeds 🌿
🔘 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️
🔘 I don't have a yard 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Another user observed, "Poor cedar behind it."
"So many dying trees already," someone else commented. "Not looking forward to how things will look in a decade."
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