Homeowners associations focus primarily on aesthetics, which can mean HOA neighborhood landscaping designs are pleasing to the eye but may not be ideal environments for plants. This notion is particularly true when landscapers use rocks as ground cover.
One Redditor was surprised when their HOA put rocks along the main street, a danger to the large, healthy trees along the road. They shared photographs on the subreddit r/arborists, where they asked if the trees could withstand the heat-trapping properties of rocks.
"From my untrained eye, the rocks seem quite dense, and there does not appear to be any barrier to allow the trees and roots to breathe," the poster said.
The neighborhood streets may look nice and clean, but beneath the surface of the rocks lies danger.
Rocks as ground cover, according to a Summer Winds Nursery blog post, release extra heat. This excess heat increases plant respiration rates, essentially starving the plants that are forced to use food faster than they make it.
With an empathetic concern for the survival of the plants, the original poster said, "I can't help but think these trees are screaming in agony."
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Similar to rocks covering the base of plants, excessive use of mulch is also a tree-killer. Mulch piled in a hill at the base of a tree is called a mulch volcano.
Per a Maryland Grows blog post, mulch volcanoes hold moisture and keep water from the plant roots. It is recommended that, instead of using rocks or too much mulch as a ground cover, consumers lay just one to three inches of mulch.
An even better ground cover is a natural lawn. Grasses like clover or buffalo grass are pollinator-friendly and encourage tree growth, while also saving consumers up to $225 a year on water.
Buffalo grass, namely, is water-efficient, according to a Nursery Near Me blog post. Because of this, maintenance is low, and the tree and grass do not compete for water.
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Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?
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Yes 💯 This landscaping method is a much more environmentally and financially responsible one than using rocks.
Commenters on the post took note of this.
One said, "They spent a lot for [on] this very bad idea."
The original poster agreed, stating they had seen the price tag for the landscaping renovation and were shocked to find it was a counterintuitive rock cover.
"I'm gonna assume fixing it is gonna be a lot more money," they said.
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