Board members warn large tree between adjacent cemetery plots could harm the tree’s roots

At a monthly tree-board meeting, members and consulting arborists questioned plans to plant a large, high-value tree between three adjacent cemetery plots that will be used for casket burials. The speakers said the planting site—plots described as 4 feet by 8 feet each, with only about 2½ feet between two headstones—would force substantial root pruning and likely reduce the tree’s chance of survival.

Why it matters: planting location, tree size and future excavations for burials determine how much of a tree’s critical root zone would be cut. Board members said that cutting a large share of the root system shortly after planting will raise mortality risk and could waste a costly tree purchase and the volunteers’ watering effort.

In discussion, Gaye (board member) asked whether planting a tree before the plots are used could work, noting the cemetery’s plan and that “their local arborist … doesn’t seem to think that there’s an issue.” An arborist who identified themselves in the meeting explained the technical limit: work inside a tree’s defined critical root zone directly correlates with survival probability. The arborist said, “If you were to remove 50% of the roots within the critical root zone area, the tree would more likely than not have a 50% chance of survival.”

Board members and arborists discussed three mitigation options. Several participants recommended planting a smaller-caliper tree to match the available 2½– to 4-foot planting width. The arborist said smaller-caliper trees have smaller root balls and survive better in confined spaces: “In that particular circumstance, when you only have a 2½-foot diameter space to plant within, you want to start with a smaller caliper tree.”

Another option raised was installing root barriers—plastic sheets that deflect roots downward—so roots grow away from future excavation zones. A participant said she would email examples of companies that supply root barriers. Installing concrete vault liners before planting also was discussed; participants said vault liners are not currently used at this cemetery but adding them before planting would reduce later root disturbance.

Board members asked about the typical root-ball size for a three-inch-to-3.5-inch-caliper tree. The arborist said the root ball is typically about 3 feet in diameter; planting that inside a 4-foot plot that sits next to a 2½-foot gap would require shaving the root ball and would “be more detrimental to the acclimation of the tree than anything else.”

The group also noted timing uncertainty: the interval between planting and when a plot is excavated for burial is unknown, and the longer a tree remains in a nursery-sized container before planting, the more its roots radiate outward, increasing the amount of root loss if excavation later occurs.

No formal action was taken. The meeting record shows technical discussion, exchange of mitigations and an offer by a board member to follow up with vendor contacts for root barriers. The transcript indicates the issue will remain under consideration while staff and the cemetery’s arborist evaluate planting size, root-barrier feasibility and whether vault liners can or will be installed before planting.

Board-member and arborist quotes used in this article are direct excerpts from the meeting transcript; attributions follow the meeting speakers’ names as given in the record.

The meeting also touched briefly on related city practices for tree pits and protection measures (see separate article).