Concerned shopper shares photo of frustrating sighting in Costco parking lot: 'Hate to see'

Despite all evidence pointing to their ineffectiveness, mulch volcanoes continue to pop up in landscapes around the country.

A mulch volcano is a huge mound of mulch placed at the base of a tree, resulting in an enormous pile that often does more harm than good.

One concerned person spotted one of these dreaded mulch volcanoes outside her local Costco.

Saw the worst mulch volcano at the Owings Mills Costco today. At least a foot of the tree trunk was buried.

Posted by Nan Wray on Saturday, April 19, 2025

"Saw the worst mulch volcano at the Owings Mills Costco today. At least a foot of the tree trunk was buried," she wrote in the Facebook caption for her photo.

Mulch has many benefits for trees, like retaining moisture and adding nutrients to the soil. But when it's piled nearly a foot high, it starts to lose its efficacy. 

Many experts have pointed out the pitfalls of too much mulch, which include tree rot, strangled roots, and the unintentional creation of homes for pests and rodents.

And that's not even considering the financial yoke of using excessive material on trees and plants, plus the cost of upkeep — or the expense of restoring them to health should they become damaged through any of the many known pitfalls of mulch volcanoes. 

It's better (not to mention cheaper) to use less mulch, often just a thin layer at the base of the tree, or to utilize other compostable materials, like grass clippings. 

Additionally, planting native species in your garden and yard reduces costs across the board, from mulch to water to fertilizer and pesticides. 

Native plants overall require less maintenance and offer the added benefit of supporting wildlife like pollinators, who play a crucial role in the healthy life cycle of so many plants.

What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Mowing the lawn 🏡 Controlling weeds 🌿 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️ I don't have a yard 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

People in the comments of the post were equally aghast at the epic mulch mountain.

"People just don't know. I hate to see the trees suffer," one person wrote.

"Good way to kill a tree," another added.

One person said they were familiar with that particular Costco's habit of engaging in landscaping faux pas, noting it seemed to be an annual tradition to stifle the landscape with soil and mulch. 

"The steeper slopes make the mulch wash off and they get to mulch the crap out of them every single spring," they wrote.

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