Resident shares photo after spotting unexpected landscaping situation in neighborhood: 'What is the point in doing this?'

A Redditor took to the site to question the motives of a neighbor who employed an unusual method of landscaping in their yard.

Posting in the r/arborists subreddit with the title "What is the point in doing this?" they shared a picture of their neighbor's tree with leaves piled around the base of its trunk in a fairly neat pile sitting atop a ring of cinder blocks.  

"Wondering what the benefits are for the tree," they said in the caption. "There must be!" 

Commenters on the post were unsure of what the intention was, or whether or not it would actually harm the tree. 

Some commenters said that the pile of leaves would help bugs and insects find places to lay their eggs in the fall. 

"It's for the bugs!" one said. "Many insects overwinter on leaves, including fireflies. If you miss seeing fireflies, you need to save the dead leaves and not bag them up or shred them or mow them."

"Possibly to help out native bug populations," said another. "A lot of bugs will lay their eggs on leaves when they fall and hatch out next spring. I know fireflies are a big one that need leaf litter around to complete their lifecycle." 

However, others were less sure about the benefits. 

"I think they mean shouldn't be piled against the trunk because it could lead to rot... not that it shouldn't be piled at all," said one. 

However, most people agreed with one issue: The ring of cement cinder blocks around the tree. 

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"The stone ring is bad for the tree," said one critic. "The leaf coverage is too high. This was done because it looks nice."

"Yeah anyone saying the leaves are bad here doesn't know what they're really talking about," said another. "The leaves aren't going to do s***. Most of them are gonna fly away. If it was mulch it'd be a whole nother story. The leaves aren't going to break into inches of dirt. Leaf mulch is better than bark mulch. Now the tree ring is a problem." 

The problem with the cinder block ring is that putting a ring around it can impact its growth in several ways. If the space behind the blocks is filled in with soil and mulch, it can serve as a de facto mulch volcano around the root flare at the base of the trunk of the tree. This can lead to excess moisture at the tree's base, making it a risk for mold, and also encourages the tree's roots to grow around its trunk, effectively choking it out as it grows.

One commenter summed up the issues with the picture succinctly. 

"Leaves are good," they said. "They provide nutrients and green mulch. Deep leaves aren't. They're a hosting space for mold and rodents. That pile is too high. It should be three or four inches of coverage."

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