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Vandalism
 Tree grates serve as a protective barrier against injury in a heavy traffic area |
People sometimes intentionally destroy or injure trees after they are planted. Trees may be unintentionally injured in downtown planting sites such as in a sidewalk cutout where many people regularly walk close to the tree.
When planting in an area where trees may be vandalized or injured, consider eliminating trees that have thin bark (e.g. red maple).
In addition, it is best to purchase trees with a trunk at least 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter since trees of this size appear to perform better than smaller ones in areas where vandalism is a problem. Some landscape architects choose trees at least 4 inches in trunk diameter in areas prone to vandalism.
