Some highly accurate, hopefully timely advice may have just saved a homeowner's trees from certain doom. An understandably upset Redditor planted black mulch around trees in the front yard, turning to the r/landscaping subreddit when surrounding plants began to die. 

"I also noticed a couple of my plants are dying since adding the mulch," the original poster said. 

From the perspective of the single picture attached to the post, the setting is beautiful, with well-rounded mulch rings surrounding trees, bushes, and various plants, the black mulch a stark contrast against a light-colored backdrop. 

Unfortunately, it won't last. "For trees in particular, you need to be able to see the root flare where the trunk widens out above the ground," one of the commenters clarified. 

While this setup doesn't quite match the giant mulch volcanoes in other examples, it shares a commonality, thanks to the covered root flare, where the base of the tree trunk widens as it touches the ground. 

Mulch volcanoes are aesthetically popular, well-loved due to their design and visual appeal, which is enhanced by the mulch accumulation. Many fail to realize that these mulch piles trap moisture, starve the roots of oxygen, and attract the worst kinds of bugs. 

The trapped moisture doesn't reach the root system, where it's needed. Instead, it does what trapped moisture always does, deteriorating the material through rot and eventual disease. 

Worse, mulch volcanoes make tree roots desperate, and they'll actually begin reaching upward into the mulch in search of the moisture the mulch is withholding. It's all-around terrible for the tree, despite the visual appeal. 

It's fairly common for homeowners to indulge in rewilding and native lawn conversions, only to undo much of their hard work with mulch volcanoes, thanks to the persistent viewpoint that mulch volcanoes protect trees and adjacent plants. 

Native lawns save money, reduce maintenance, and lower water consumption, but none of that matters if mulch volcanoes become a major part of the transformation. 

Hopefully, the OP caught it in time: "Thank you so much. I pulled it back this morning on the tree and all the plants."

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