!["This joker was probably two [feet] tall."](https://www.thecooldown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/mulch-volcanoesimage-recNQVDcLu7mk12WM-1.jpg?w=1920&h=800)
TikToker Stripe Life (@the_striplife) posted a video displaying how the cliché "less is more" also applies to landscaping.
As his video zoomed in on a tree "out in the wild," a vast mulch volcano came into view.
@the_stripelife I don't understand how professionals can put out work like this, or how the clients can think this is a good look #lawntok #lawncare #vulcano #landscaper #mulch #mulching #mulchvulcano #fail ♬ La Grange (2019 Remaster) - ZZ Top
When describing the size of the mound, Stripe Life said, "This joker was probably two [feet] tall." Instead, it should only be about 2 to 3 inches deep, spread out in a ring away from the root flare. Too much mulch in the wrong spot (such as right on the trunk) suffocates the tree. It also defeats its purpose of providing nutrients, retaining soil moisture, and preventing weeds, only to create ecological and unexpected financial costs.
A commenter asked, "Car guy here, this may sound stupid, but won't that kill that tree?" The resounding answer is yes, mulch volcanoes can kill a tree and remove a valuable part of the ecosystem.
A dead tree can no longer house necessary pollinators — some of which are endangered, like certain bees and monarch butterflies. With a healthy tree, these creatures enjoy a habitat and foraging space that allows them to repopulate.
Did you know one tree provides enough daily oxygen for up to four people, per the United States Department of Agriculture? Trees also reduce pollution by storing carbon — 10 to over 1,000 tons of it, according to MIT's Climate Portal, so premature tree death is a loss of natural air filtering.
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Then, there's a cost to remove a dead tree that, according to Angi, can range from $200 to $2,000. That cost can be even greater if it falls over and damages property — or even worse, a person.
Adding and properly preserving native plants like trees through best practices such as the right mulch and placement are the first steps in rewilding a lawn and having healthy and deep-rooted plants that enable water conservation on a planet battling more frequent and worse droughts.
Trees buried under mulch aren't a rare occurrence, as one comment said, "It's in most shopping center parking lots more than anything."
"I don't understand how professionals can put out work like this," the narrator said. However, some landscapers noted this practice sometimes results from customer requests or bids. "Trust me I understand but certain customers want it like that. I tell them [it's] not [healthy] for [trees] and bushes," wrote one pro.
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