One Phoenix homeowner didn't know what to do when their homeowners association severely trimmed a tree in their yard.

"Was this tree trimmed correctly?" they asked in the r/landscaping Reddit forum. "Just had our HOA hire someone to trim our trees. … This looks bad to me, but does anyone know if this [is] how it should be done?"

The original poster included a photo of their bottlebrush tree. In the photo, all of the tree's upper branches have been cut off sharply at a height of about 15 feet, leaving the canopy much diminished.

Unfortunately, botched tree care is a common theme with HOAs, which are often more concerned with saving money and enforcing conformity than with the health of trees or the value of an owner's affected property. Some have even pushed for trees to be removed altogether.

That's a huge problem, because trees are a major asset to homeowners and the planet. They increase property values by as much as 15%, and they provide shade and cooling power, as well as making yards more beautiful.

They also help purify the air and lock away heat-trapping carbon air pollution, so they are good for the climate. Removing or damaging them is the wrong move for people and the environment.

Commenters didn't like what this HOA had done to the OP's bottlebrush tree.

"Yeah usually you want to trim bottom up, not top down. Not very healthy for the tree," one user said.

"When they cut it like that, they're actually not supposed to cut through the trunks, you're supposed to cut down to the trunk," another commenter confirmed. "The way they did it exposes a lot of wood. You're not supposed to have any exposed wood. Because that rots."

When facing negative HOA policies about tree trimming, one option is to change the rules — learn more about how here.

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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