Why Tree Topping Harms Tree Canopies

Tree topping is both surprisingly common and extremely detrimental to trees. It is often done by homeowners and the tree services they hire in the misguided belief that it’s beneficial for trees, but it can actually kill perfectly healthy trees and hurt our overall urban canopy. 

Tree topping is a procedure in which all the branches of a mature tree are severely cut back, leaving stumps for limbs and resulting in devastating consequences for the tree. Carol Ashworth, a landscape architect and Nashville Tree Conservation Corps board member, recalls a healthy and beautiful oak in a local neighborhood that she hoped to include in the Metro Historic Specimen Tree Program. Sadly, the tree was lost to this poor maintenance practice before it could be registered. Carol believes the solution to tree topping lies in better education of homeowners and standards enforcement for tree maintenance. 

Tree maintenance, crown reduction or thinning are normally done by an arborist who carefully removes or trims branches from a tree in a way that maintains most of its limbs and doesn’t harm its overall structure or soundness. Tree topping takes this removal process to an unfortunate extreme. In urban areas, many homeowners mistakenly believe a tree near a house will be safer if the branches are uniformly hacked off. In reality, any new growth that occurs after such severe cuts is likely to be weak and hazardous. 

When branches and leaves are removed en masse, a tree can no longer photosynthesize, and essentially it starves to death. The tree is not only unable to support itself, it can no longer provide its usual benefits to the surrounding ecosystem -- including air purification and flood control. 

Individual People Affect Individual Trees

One of the challenges cities face in coordinating area-wide tree care comes from the fact that most trees are on private properties. Only 4% of Davidson County’s tree canopy is the responsibility of Nashville’s Metropolitan government. 

All property owners who have trees need to understand the impact of good arboreal care. Carol says it’s especially important that tree care is done only by certified arborists — reputable professionals who are insured for their specialized services. Metro code requires tree care services to obtain a permit, which is based on their training and insurance (2.104.070 - Permitting of arborists). Uncertified tree cutters work for less, but in the end do more damage that leads to later costs. In the long run, quality tree work is a worthwhile investment, since mature trees can be worth $1,000 to $10,000, and potentially increase property values up to 20%.

Our Responsibilities to Trees

Property owners maintain part of a wider ecosystem, and it’s ultimately up to them to take care of the wildlife and trees in their neighborhoods. 

Carol says a lack of educational programming and loose enforcement of ordinances have led to poor tree protection in Nashville. Here are some ways you can help: 

• Join the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps

• Talk to city officials about strengthening tree protection laws

• Attend Metro Council meetings and sign petitions

• Call attention to tree problems when you see them in your neighborhood

When concerned citizens and groups work together with the city, things can start to change. Carol, who has been active in protecting Nashville's trees for many years, believes her impact is stronger when working with an organization. She says she has found a family in the Tree Corps, which shares her values and passion for good tree care.