A worried Texas homeowner approached the r/Arborists subreddit to understand a baffling move by their homeowners association.

"Did my HOA doom these trees with rocks?" they asked in their post. "And, do my baby red oaks have a chance?'

Their photos show rows of mature trees surrounded by beds of river rocks that cover the ground right up to the bases of their trunks. There are also tiny, barely sprouted saplings with small islands of mulch holding the rocks at bay.

"A little over a year ago, my HOA rocked in this plot of land behind me," said the original poster. "... There was an issue with the irrigation system that the HOA deemed too costly to fix — so instead they paid 15K to just rock the whole thing in."

Unfortunately, the HOA has committed a classic blunder: The rocks are covering the root flares of the trees. 

This is the area at the base of the tree where the roots diverge from the trunk. This area needs to be exposed to the air for several feet around the tree; otherwise, the tree is at risk of suffocation and rot. In a hot, dry area like Texas, a material like stone poses an additional risk of soaking up sunlight and overheating the tree's roots.

"I'm wondering if these rocks are going to adversely affect these mature hack berries, live oaks, cedar elms, and Chinese pistaches," said the original poster. "I throw a drip hose out about twice a year when we are in drought conditions and run it for about 12 hours but otherwise they don't get any regular watering." They are also responsible for the new saplings in the lot and the mulch ring around each one.

It might seem shocking that an HOA, which in theory is supposed to protect property values, would be careless with trees, which raise property values, lower cooling costs by providing shade, and overall improve the neighborhood. But shortsighted HOAs have often been known to neglect, damage, or even actively attack trees.

The arborists of Reddit were not optimistic about these trees' chances. "The problem with rocks is they heat up and retain heat, and add no organic matter to the soil," one user confirmed. "They also are a pain to weed, so they will be using herbicide to maintain it. Not good, not good at all."

The original poster's best chance to save the trees may be to change the HOA's bylaws to address the problem.

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden? Yes 💯 Only if it impacts your neighbors 🏘️ Depends on what you're growing 🌼 Heck no 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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