Location: Central Texas. Worried about the survival and future of my Autumn Blaze Maple

[u/RD_X2]

Location: Central Texas

Before I left for Korea I had a nice mulch ring around the root system and trunk that was breathable and well kept. As I was gone my family decided to let the grass grow up to and around the trunk. When I was on my way back they started mowing/weed eating the yard and have damaged our maple tree. As of now, you can see the rest of the trunk and canopy seems in good condition. I’ve re established the mulch ring, I water it properly, and even at times keep the southern sun from burning this spot with some cardboard. I’m worried about the trunk being compromised so low and its future health as the tree ages.

Will that spot ever recover or will it be a weak spot that the wind will eventually blow too hard one day and snap the tree?

What can I do from here? Should I cut it down and restart?

Thanks in advance.

[u/AutoModerator]

Hello /u/RD_X2! If you haven't already, please have a look at our Guidelines for Effective Posting, to be sure you've provided all the pics and context needed for us to help you best.

You MUST acknowledge this request by replying to this comment (or make a top-level comment in your post) that A), you have looked over those guidelines and that you have already submitted all the pics and info possible or B), you comment to add the missing pics/info.

If no response is made, your post will be removed within 60 minutes (unless a mod approves your post as-is) but you are welcome to try again when you do have the additional info. Thank you for helping us help you!

ALERT: As of 8/8/25, reddit has managed to break the wiki links for both iOS and Android; PLEASE USE THIS ARCHIVE.ORG link for the wiki, and here is one for our POSTING GUIDELINES! Thank you for your patience!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/RD_X2 → u/AutoModerator]

I understand and have read all the guidelines.

[u/spiceydog]

I really struggle with ABM posts because we're not huge fans of them here for a slew of reasons and I'm not hopeful for the future lifespan of this one as I'm not entirely certain this one was planted properly either, like the great, great majority of most trees posted in the tree subs. While I do see some larger roots visible in pic 2, at least, I'm not entirely certain this is the root flare. It would not be uncommon for roots to 'loop upwards' due to having been planted too deeply at the nursery, and I feel this is what's going on with yours, especially it being a maple.

If you want to give your tree more time to see if it will recover there's nothing wrong with that, but if you do, you need to investigate around the base to be sure your tree was planted at proper depth; root flare exposure is a must with maples. You will have no end of problems if you don't. See this !expose automod callout below this comment for some guidance.

Please see our wiki for a full explanation on why planting depth/root flare exposure is so vitally important (and a top reason why trees fail to thrive and die early!) along with other critical planting tips and errors to avoid; there's sections on watering, pruning and more that I hope will be useful to you.

If you decide to throw in the towel, please try out the superb TX A&M tree !selector app in the callout below for other, much more worthy natives to consider than this tree.

[u/AutoModerator → u/spiceydog]

Hi /u/spiceydog, AutoModerator has been summoned to provide information on root flare exposure.

To understand what it means to expose a tree's root flare, do a subreddit search in r/arborists, r/tree, r/sfwtrees or r/marijuanaenthusiasts using the term root flare; there will be a lot of posts where this has been done on young and old trees. You'll know you've found it when you see outward taper at the base of the tree from vertical to the horizontal, and the tops of large, structural roots. Here's what it looks like when you have to dig into the root ball of a B&B to find the root flare. Here's a post from further back; note that this poster found bundles of adventitious roots before they got to the flare, those small fibrous roots floating around (theirs was an apple tree), and a clear structural root which is visible in the last pic in the gallery. See the top section of this 'Happy Trees' wiki page for more collected examples of this work.

Root flares on a cutting grown tree may or may not be entirely present, especially in the first few years. Here's an example.

See also our wiki's 'Happy Trees' root flare excavations section for more excellent and inspirational work, and the main wiki for a fuller explanation on planting depth/root flare exposure, proper mulching, watering, pruning and more.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/AutoModerator → u/spiceydog]

Hi /u/spiceydog, AutoModerator has been summoned to provide this list of tree selector tools.

Tree selector tools - Not all have been run through their paces! YMMV

iTree tools tree selector - (Worldwide)

Wildflower.org plant, shrub and tree selector - (U.S. and Canada)

Arbor Day Tree wizard (all U.S.)

Morton Arboretum search tool (all U.S.)

Up With Trees tree selector - (all U.S.)

CalScape search tool where you can narrow things down using the filters. (CA specific)

SelecTree - includes some naturalized plants for the region because there's limited natives. (CA specific)

Cleveland Metroparks selection tool - (OH specific, but should be suitable for some adjacent states)

Colorado region tree selector - ('Double El conservation district)

Front Range Recommended Tree List - pdf, CO and WY specific

Florida trees - For urban and suburban sites (FL specific, but may be suitable for nearby states)

NDSU Tree Selector - ND and surrounding states, specifically hardiness zones 2-4

SCNPS plant directory - SC (and probably will work with some neighboring areas)

Texas Tree Selector - TX A&M Univ.

USU TreeBrowser - UT and Intermountain west states

Virginia Urban Street Tree Selector - VA Tech; (VA specific, but should be suitable for some adjacent states)

Please modmail if you know of a search tool not on this list!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Joe_B_Likes_Tacos → u/spiceydog]

I never knew there were issues with ABMs. Mine have grown fast and look amazing here in N. Illinois. I guess they should still outlive me!

[u/RD_X2 → u/Joe_B_Likes_Tacos]

Man I see some people planting/planted all sorts of trees and they are just thriving. When I take super extra care (what I thought was enough) of my first ever tree planted, it goes and does this dying stuff on me. Saddens me.

[u/RD_X2 → u/spiceydog]

Yea this saddens me. I wish nurseries were held more accountable and only sold trees that would do well here. Or have more answers for how to care for a tree and help explain all the proper ways to care for the tree here.

Could I give you more and better pictures to see if you can identify proper root flare and planting depth?

I just wish I could see in the future and know if this tree will just snap in half over my house 10-15-20 years down the road or grow up strong and beautifully as the only red maple in town.

[u/spiceydog → u/RD_X2]

and know if this tree will just snap in half over my house 10-15-20 years down the road

I want to be clear that if there's a catastrophic failure, it won't be because of the injuries we're currently seeing in your pics, it'll be because of girdling or other structural issue higher up, so making sure it's planted properly and pruned properly is important for this tree.

See the expose automod callout above for some guidance on root flare exposure and please do post some pics as you go about this work if I can help further!

[u/AutoModerator → u/spiceydog]

Hi /u/spiceydog, AutoModerator has been summoned to provide information on root flare exposure.

To understand what it means to expose a tree's root flare, do a subreddit search in r/arborists, r/tree, r/sfwtrees or r/marijuanaenthusiasts using the term root flare; there will be a lot of posts where this has been done on young and old trees. You'll know you've found it when you see outward taper at the base of the tree from vertical to the horizontal, and the tops of large, structural roots. Here's what it looks like when you have to dig into the root ball of a B&B to find the root flare. Here's a post from further back; note that this poster found bundles of adventitious roots before they got to the flare, those small fibrous roots floating around (theirs was an apple tree), and a clear structural root which is visible in the last pic in the gallery. See the top section of this 'Happy Trees' wiki page for more collected examples of this work.

Root flares on a cutting grown tree may or may not be entirely present, especially in the first few years. Here's an example.

See also our wiki's 'Happy Trees' root flare excavations section for more excellent and inspirational work, and the main wiki for a fuller explanation on planting depth/root flare exposure, proper mulching, watering, pruning and more.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/RD_X2 → u/spiceydog]

Dude/dudette you’re awesome. I’ll add some pictures. I also have to research more about what girdling means and how to prune properly. I’ll be bugging you. Thanks for your advice and quick responses.

[u/spiceydog → u/RD_X2]

I also have to research more about what girdling means

Lucky for you, we also have this !girdling callout with a terrific publication in the 'Practitioners Guide' linked in it below with a full explanation and extra pic examples in it.

I'll look forward to your update! 😊👍

[u/AutoModerator → u/spiceydog]

Hi /u/spiceydog, AutoModerator has been summoned to provide information on stem girdling roots in new and established trees.

For new trees, this is something that should to some degree be discovered during the 'Picking Good Stock' as linked to in the wiki below. (For information on remediation of established tree girdling, see the publication links in the next paragraph.) If you find your new container tree has some minor girdling once you've got it out of the pot, it may be possible to correct this prior to planting in the ground. If the girdling is severe, in both container or B&B trees that involve one or more large structural roots it may be better to opt to return your tree for replacement.

See these pages for examples of girdling roots (MO Botanical Gardens) on mature and younger trees (Purdue Univ. Ext.), and this page from the Univ. of FL on methods of remediation for mature trees. This Practitioner's Guide to stem girdling roots from UMN is also excellent.

Please see our wiki for help with finding an arborist to help with stem girdling roots along with other critical planting/care tips and errors to avoid; there's sections on watering, pruning and more that I hope will be useful to you.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/niccol6]

Your tree will compartmentalize the wound. Looks to me like it's already started doing that.

Of course it would've been better if they didn't hit the bark with the lawnmower or whatever, but trees are tough.

Look for girdling roots since maples suffer from that.