All over HoCo, particularly in newer developments, you will see trees being choked by tree stakes and ties they’ve long since outgrown. In some cases the wooden stakes actually rot out and collapse into the tree. The noose around the trees trunk, however, continues to tighten.
Sure, trees are tough. I’ve seen trees grow right around these obstacles but that doesn’t make it right. There should be some kind of a landscaper’s code that suggests if you put these supports on a newly planted tree, you should check back in a year to make sure it’s free.
Apparently we can’t rely on all property owners to take of this simple task. This choking pine was found behind the Lowes store in the Gateway Overlook shopping center.
