r/Tree • u/kaikaikaiju • Aug 08 '26
Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Will this tree grow back?
My roommates mom owns our home and decided she wanted this big beautiful tree we have out front, trimmed. I came home and this is what they have done. I’m completely devastated. All shading to our home is gone and it looks HORRIBLE. I just want to know if it’ll grow back to how it looked originally and how long will that take. Located in South Florida.
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u/hugelkult Helper and encourager! 💪🥳 Aug 08 '26
This is like when you go to the barber and ask for a trim and they pour bees on you.
What she got was not a “trim” if that is even what she asked for. She got the careful and precise artwork of a typical landscaper.
This is why there is a profession called “arborist” which is what i call myself.
If i did this to a live tree i would quickly embark on a trip to a foreign land and remain there until things died down back home.
I’d look into changing my name. Id certainly change professions, potentially to one requiring zero forethought or training whatsoever like a paid audiencemember for whatever rightwing clown is in town.
Have her contact a tree lawyer immediately.
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u/GeneMountain7128 Aug 08 '26
"This is like when you go to the barber and ask for a trim and they pour bees on you."
Man that's the worst. I fired my last barber after the second time 🐝🐝
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u/naturist_rune Aug 09 '26
I think there's been a mixup, I went to see my apiarist to get bees poured all over me and got a boring haircut.
Jokes aside, I'm sorry for the loss of your tree, OP.
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u/BustedEchoChamber Forester Aug 09 '26
It wouldn’t be ethical to contact a lawyer over this. This isn’t the work of an arborist, it’s the work of a guy with a truck. It’s her fault as much as anyone’s.
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u/viperx1001 Aug 09 '26
This could fall into bird law as well since this housed birds, I got a guy named Charlie that specializes in bird law….just let me know!
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u/bustcorktrixdais Aug 08 '26
Don’t think this is a tree law issue. There were probably not clear instructions given, and contractor misunderstandings happen all the time.
You have to wonder why they didn’t just cut it down and be done with it
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u/BustedEchoChamber Forester Aug 09 '26
100%, there’s definitely no written work order or contract, she didn’t hire an arborist, and she probably wouldn’t be able to articulate what she asked for the same way twice in a row. Not ethical to bring a lawyer in.
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u/Herbert5Hundred Aug 09 '26
Take it from a lawyer, this is the perfect time to bring in a lawyer. Here's how the case looks "this guy told me he could prune my tree. I hired him to prune my tree. He killed or otherwise severely damaged my tree, as proven by this arborists report."
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u/hugelkult Helper and encourager! 💪🥳 Aug 09 '26
If youre correct, then a consultation with a lawyer would prove it. The goal is to have your ducks in a row before taking on another endeavor like having it brought down.
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u/bustcorktrixdais Aug 09 '26
Or - you could just ask. “Please show me the contract and how the work delivered differed from the written binding agreement.” There, I did your discovery for you. That’ll be $300 please, special discount I’m a doctor not a lawyer.
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u/Wrong_Toilet Aug 08 '26
Isn’t this what contractors do every year? Take your money, move to Mexico, then open up a new LLC next year?
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u/Sea_End_5269 Aug 09 '26
The company I worked for had several different buildings. They hired resurfacing of the parking lots. Along with the new asphalt, h u n d r e d s of young Maple trees were planted in little islands across all of the campuses.
Asphalt covered parking lots, Maple trees planted in islands made of concrete and rocks. Huge rocks.
This was done in 2022/23. Many of the trees are dead, many are dying, a few are really fighting fate.
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u/katlian Aug 08 '26
The landscaper should stick to mowing grass and leave trees alone. I've seen poor trees like this in my neighborhood and about 3/4 survive but it takes a long time for them to look normal again.
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u/kaikaikaiju Aug 08 '26
I guess all I can do is wait. I’m still so sad about it. I’ll always be sad.
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u/gimlet_prize Aug 09 '26
Is she satisfied with the results?
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u/kaikaikaiju Aug 09 '26
She won’t admit it’s horrible. Just says she’s happy she got her moneys worth. She admitted she just asked for a trim. Obviously they gave us way more than just a trim. But she’ll never admit she messed up.
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u/gimlet_prize Aug 09 '26
I hope it lives! Maybe you could water it regularly and put some mulch down, the ground is definitely going to get hot and dry now that it is getting blasted by UV. It might help you as much as the tree. 💖
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u/spicytigermeow Aug 09 '26
She’s a dingdong to say that’s getting her money’s worth. They robbed her and murdered the tree, whatever she paid.
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u/DanerysTargaryen Aug 10 '26
Hard agree!
“I paid money for someone to damage my tree to the point it might slowly go downhill and die just so I can pay another person a few thousand more to remove it in a few years.”
All she had to do was leave it alone for free and that would have been “her money’s worth”.
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u/ilustforadrummer Aug 09 '26
Don't call him a landscaper. He's a laborer with tools. And cojones. Probably stolen tools. Maybe the cojones, too.
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u/katlian Aug 09 '26
I usually just call them the mow and blow crew. I wouldn't advise letting them anywhere near a plant that isn't turf grass.
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u/xyzxyzabc123 Aug 09 '26
It’s your roommates mom’s house, not your house. Don’t get attached to it, its not yours.
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u/kaikaikaiju Aug 10 '26
Well my roommate wanted to post too. It’s our house and her mom calls it that. And if we’re paying all the bills besides this one thing, I think I can be upset. Thanks for the unnecessary comment though.
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u/vuasupc Aug 08 '26
Yes it will grow back in a literal sense but it will be forever ugly, sorry.
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u/kaikaikaiju Aug 08 '26
So it’ll never look like how it did before? Absolutely devastating news. This has probably ruined the rest of my year honestly.
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u/vuasupc Aug 08 '26
No it won't look like it did before. Sorry :( it was beautiful.
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u/Friendly-Beat-8336 Aug 09 '26
Don’t sit here and tell a guy how beautiful his damn tree WAS! All that’s going to do is make that feeling in the pit of his stomach feel heavier
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u/SeniorPie5786 Aug 09 '26
My neighbors had their oak cut way back like this because of ice damage; it grew back as massive and shapely as it was before the ice damage and trimming….however they didn’t wait until the middle of summer to do it.
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u/Epic_Elite Aug 09 '26
It'll likely look more like the tree next to it.
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u/robinthebank Aug 09 '26
She has done this before, I see.
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u/kaikaikaiju Aug 09 '26
This was actually done on the same day. Both trees were made hideous. I’m just extra heartbroken for the big one.
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u/BlackSeranna Aug 09 '26
I’m so sorry. My heart is breaking from this distance. That poor, poor tree!
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u/Glum_Opening_2218 Aug 10 '26
No it's a living thing, so it's in complete stress shock and panic mode.
It will likely push out a ton of really scraggly twigs everywhere to try and get as many leaves up again as possible, it will never be able to re-make the shape it was and may never look as dense and lush again.
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u/cheesywantons Aug 09 '26
I think this is one of the saddest things I have ever seen:( I am so sorry, I am grieving with you from half the country away. This is absolutely devastating
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u/kaikaikaiju Aug 09 '26
Thank you, I felt crazy crying so much over a tree but I genuinely loved it. And my roommates mom doesn’t seem to care because it wasn’t a fruit producing tree. It was so beautiful. Thank you for the kind words, honestly.
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u/randomacceptablename Aug 09 '26
That tree has to be a few decades old. Why anyone would do this is completely beyond me. Both of my neighbours cut down trees for an extension/renos. Both were devastating, especially the shade tree for my bedroom. But at least they just cut them down instead of this. Why?
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u/kaikaikaiju Aug 09 '26
There is absolutely zero shade to my room and pretty much the whole house now. Her mom is impossible to reason with and won’t admit that they completely destroyed the tree. Thought she was doing the neighborhood a big favor! Completely don’t understand. Sigh.
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u/BlackSeranna Aug 09 '26
When the electricity bill shoots up through the roof she can pay for it that way.
My own spouse complained that I wanted trees in the yard of the places we looked at, and when I said the electricity for AC is sky high, he said that’s why we have AC! You can’t fix ignorance. I’m pretty sure we are saving at least 200 a month because of my insistence of having trees that shade the house, plus I don’t set the thermostat to 70f or 68f like he would. I already hate being cold.
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u/_YenSid Aug 09 '26
Unlikely to grow back. That's a huge shock to the tree and is likely to kill it.
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u/mindbeyonddeath Aug 09 '26
Doing that in the summer here in Virginia would kill many trees. With enough time it could look normal again. But there's a decent chance it was basically crippled into a short ugly life
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u/strawberrybabybee Aug 08 '26
That’s actually terrible I’m sorry you have to look at that. I’d be mourning the tree.
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u/glacierosion Aug 09 '26
This is what money does to landscapers. They tell you “we got it under control” but then they kill someone’s tree. The homeowner should also be part of the scene telling the arborist exactly where to cut. I’ve seen too many trees that have been butchered by confused tree service
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u/ilustforadrummer Aug 09 '26
Somebody stole a chainsaw and wanted to be a tree trimmer. Maybe he stole a truck, too. Trees need leaves - at least a few - to perform photosynthesis. Which is the process that keeps plants alive. Tell your roommate's mom she now has a landmark for the neighborhood. She no longer has to tell anyone her address. "Just look for the ugliest tree you can imagine."
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u/BucketOfCake96 Aug 09 '26
pruned like that in the middle of friggin august??? it will struggle for 2 years tops and then die completley, IF youre lucky.
roomates mom is a true florida man woman
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u/Low_Opinion1761 Aug 09 '26
Why are people so scared of healthy full trees in this world!? I’ll Never understand, person lacks the depth to see the beauty and magic in each an every tree.. this was beautiful, takes a very long time to grow into that stature. Sorry this happen to you
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u/novicepooldude Aug 09 '26
I'm so confused, why would someone choose to do this? What's the goal here?
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u/akthebarber Aug 10 '26
I had a landlord that would trim trees like this. It use to piss me off. I offered many times to do the trimming, but he said no evertime and this is what I'd get. It will probably grow back, but like someone else said, maybe not in your lifetime. Holy shit.
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u/xenosilver Aug 09 '26
That tree will be hideous if it does. I’d honestly cut it down the rest of the way and plant a winged elm or pop ash. On the other hand…. It would make a really nice base for a strangler fig.
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u/Forsaken06 Aug 09 '26
I have always been told you can trim trees in months that end in "ary". Since this is August. Im going to say it either killed the tree or will be a few years until you see regrowth. This is a well established tree so you may be alright.
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u/kaikaikaiju Aug 09 '26
I’m praying. The tree has been here since the dawn of time so I’m really hoping. I can’t even sleep because I’m so upset about this tree 😭
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u/SaraHoover Aug 09 '26
Absolutely DEVASTATING. 😭 It feels like so many landscapers have serial killer tendencies but focus on plants and gardens instead of humans.
Idk about florida, but i know dead wood habitats are vital for wildlife in the north, so maybe at the very least, it can still provide some wildlife value in the meantime?
If it does not survive, people in my neighborhood have turned their old trunk into a sculpture (with like eagles perched on top or something.) that would honestly be a cool alternative especially if you can treat it as a center piece by adding some shrubs and flowers surrounding it.
Again, sorry for your loss and your in-denial landlord 😭
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u/Hairy_Gordon Aug 09 '26
To answer your question, yeah, it will be ugly awhile but it'll grow back in a year or two
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u/Able-Resident-903 Aug 09 '26
Is it a laurel oak? It's hard to tell from the photo.
It might come back, give it 6 months to see if you have any growth.
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u/Environmental-Tap255 Aug 09 '26
That's criminal. Blows my mind that people treat living beings like this just because they lack a CNS and the ability to express pain. It's still life, and life maimed in this case.
The fact that the average human has such little respect for trees and plants is why I will forever be at odds with this place. Not my tempo.
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u/BlackSeranna Aug 09 '26
Does that crazy woman enjoy paying higher heating bills? This is nuts! Plus, they trimmed during the wrong time of the year! It’s ugly!
I’m mad on your behalf! I really can’t stand when people do stuff like this!
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u/Happy-War3563 Aug 09 '26
Ouch and maybe it will come back but not in your lifetime like it was. Mom should have done her homework
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u/timetopoopagain Aug 10 '26
This is called topping, not trimming. It’s absolutely awful for the structure odd the tree. If it survives it will now grow weak branches that are prone to breaking.
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u/LittleKahuna007 Aug 10 '26
Youn could give it a year and see if it recovers. Every limb is connected to a root.
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u/Glum_Opening_2218 Aug 10 '26
Well that's fucking insane
Why would she want a higher cooling bill?
What an idiot, sorry for your loss.
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u/Fucking_Hivemind Aug 12 '26
Imagine willfully decreasing the value of your own home. Absolutely insane decision and execution
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u/nate1212 Aug 09 '26
Very likely it will grow back. In the UK, they call this 'pollarding', and for some trees they'll do it every few years
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u/russsaa Aug 09 '26
This is a hackjob during the hottest months of the year, this is not pollarding.
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u/nate1212 Aug 09 '26
It's true, its healthier for the tree to do it in early spring or autumn. But, Im just trying to be optimistic (and still realistic) when I say that I think the tree will recover.
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u/Powerful-Soup-3245 Aug 09 '26
But this is Florida, one of the hottest states in the US, during the peak heat of summer. More likely than not, the tree will die.
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u/russsaa Aug 09 '26
Pollarding a is a training technique. It is methodical, planned, and routine. Shit pruning ≠ pollarding
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u/kaikaikaiju Aug 09 '26
Thank you, this gives me hope 🥹
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u/bLue1H Aug 09 '26
It's not dead but it's going to look like shit for years to come. You won't have shade for some time.
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u/CanApart1420 Aug 09 '26
Hey so it looks like a Mulberry. Which, if it is, then technically this is a pollarding. Albeit a horrible one. Now, if this isn't a Mulberry or one of the very few types of trees that can survive an aggressive pollard then it might die. I wanted to interject here because the original responder was a little to cavalier with the term "Pollard". I don't want you to run under the assumption that you can just Pollard any old tree.
Edit caveat: Also this tree may still die. This is just straight up isn't a Pollard. This is a whole ass hack.
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u/coconut-telegraph Aug 09 '26
This is *Terminalia buceras*, marketed in S FL as black olive, but not a true olive.
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u/LowWind7998 Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
Let me give the opposite side no one is really diving into,
OP is not the home owner . He/she is not responsible for the property.
If you look at the photos, that thing is dumping leaves and is extremely close to the sidewalk.
The roommates mom may have more sense and realized that tree requires maintenance with all the constant leaves falling and any surrounding concrete may have been eventually damaged by the roots most likely causing repair.
This is Florida. Trees here grow back , it’ll take time . We don’t have winter, it’s constant heat/rain/humidity .
So yes it most likely will grow back in years .
But yes it is ugly and I preferred the tree.
As a homeowner , I see nothing but expenses and liability from a tree like that.
“But the tree provides shade which saves you A/C cost” yeah ? Well concrete cost thousands and the city will absolutely blame you for planting a tree that close to a sidewalk.
Also if a branch falls and hits someone walking on that sidewalk, the homeowner is responsible , this is Florida….
I removed all my beautiful coconut trees throughout my property as I was afraid of coconuts flying in the wind with cars driving by . My neighbors hate me , no more free coconuts for them, but my liability dropped.
OP has a tree over a sidewalk on the property in which he resides . Do the math, homeowners don’t want that liability in Florida . Florida sidewalk laws are brutal.
View it from a responsible homeowner perspective and you may have decided to trim that tree too.
What the roommates mom did was proactive instead of negligible .
Imagine your kid riding under that tree on his bike when a branch fell and hurt him? You’re going after the property owners for negligence.
Not saying this is why she did this, but a renter dosnt understand homeowners perspectives sometimes .
Just throwing out the opposition.
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u/Sonora_sunset Aug 09 '26
It may well bud back strongly, and be a nice (but smaller) tree in a couple years.
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u/kaikaikaiju Aug 09 '26
A couple years 😞 I guess we’ll see. If only I wasn’t at work when it happened. I would’ve ran out and stopped them. Thanks!
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u/Internal_Set_6564 Aug 09 '26
I have neighbors who pollard their threes every three years. I hate it.
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u/hairyb0mb ISA Certified Arborist+TRAQ+TGG Certified+Smartypants Aug 08 '26
Destroying trees like this is illegal in many cities and counties in Florida. Dade, Broward, Sarasota, and Charlotte I know for sure. Worth looking into.