Not everyone is a certified landscaping expert, and that's okay. Sometimes it's just best to leave some of the more challenging projects to the professionals. Unfortunately, for one homeowner, their local HOA didn't quite agree with that sentiment.   

In a post to r/arborists, the Redditor shared a photo of a tree that had endured a perplexing procedure. 

"Tree: injured. HOA: hold my beer and pass the spray foam," wrote the original poster. In the photo uploaded in the post, it appeared that a hollow tree was filled with a decent amount of spray foam. 

While it can certainly look unsightly to some, tree holes and cavities can be perfectly natural for an aging tree. In fact, many arborists strongly suggest leaving a tree alone, since it has its own natural defenses to compartmentalize the injury. 

Whether a tree has suffered a catastrophic incident or has been slowly decaying over time, using spray foam is generally not recommended for filling tree cavities. Doing so can trap moisture and create an environment for rot and further decay to thrive, leading to potential tree death. It also prevents proper tree healing and masks problems that may even be treatable. 

As seen in the original post, some HOAs may feel obligated to fill trees with cavities. If a tree with a cavity is near a building or an area frequented by people, consulting a certified arborist for an evaluation is usually the best thing you can do for a tree. 

Some people might think that HOA boards have the final say on how to approach various landscaping projects throughout a neighborhood. However, there are ways that you can help change established rules, such as when to contact a professional. This can go a long way in saving another tree from meeting the same fate as the one seen above.      

Down in the comments section, a number of users offered up their take on the situation. 

"This is ridiculous. They should've used wood filler," quipped one commenter. 

"Better than concrete," joked another user. 

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.

"How is this in any way better?" one asked.

A fourth commenter shared a similar experience to the original poster. "I had a tree company fill a hole with spray foam. The squirrels removed it and I had to clean up popcorn size bits of spray foam for a few weeks," they noted. "This was about 8 years ago. The squirrels still live in that hole."  

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.