A Reddit user has shared a saddening photo of a landscaping job on a majestic old tree.
In a post on the r/arborists subreddit, the user presented their landlord's ugly tree-trimming endeavor with the caption, "Landlord had our beautiful tree massacred."
"Not sure what kind of tree it is, but it had a hell of a lot more branches and leaves on it before the landscapers got to it," the user wrote in the body of the post. "Will it be okay? Will it leaf out again in the spring?"
The user also clarified that they live in the Pacific Northwest.
The landlord's shoddy pruning job probably did permanent damage to the tree, as over-pruning can affect a tree's structure and leaf-growing abilities. This is especially troubling because of trees' positive effects on the environment and human health — studies have repeatedly proven that trees and green spaces help remove carbon pollution from the atmosphere and improve air quality, especially in urban areas. Trees also have positive effects on mental health.
Arborists shared their insights on the situation in the comment section.
"Its an oak tree, burr or white oak i think," one user explained. "It will leaf out again but the damage has been done. We are taught never to take more than 30% of the canopy in any 1 pruning session. Certainly seems like more than that here."
The user went on to explain why the over-pruning probably caused permanent damage.
"The tree now has to use tons of energy to try and close those wounds and its ability to photosynthesize has just been dealt a blow," they wrote. "Luckily [we're] heading into dormant season. The tree most likely isn't going to die but in the next 3 years if you see signs of decline you can def point a finger at this pruning job."
"I wish I had a before photo," the OP responded. "I literally cried when I saw this 'pruning' job."
"The unsealed wounds are a great vector for pathogens and insects to stress the tree and allow decay," another user said. "The almost complete removal of the photosynthetic area is a big stress for the tree in springtime. The structure is permanently ruined, outside of expensive reconstructive pruning."
Plant destruction is just one of many issues that people face with hostile landlords and homeowners associations. These disruptive parties are doing no favors to tenants or the environment — some are obstructing solar panels, while others are cracking down on personal gardening and discouraging electric vehicles.
It's unfortunately quite common to meet resistance from an HOA when making changes or improvements to your property. It can be frustrating, but there are plenty of ways to enact change if you know where to start.
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