Expert says common gardening practice is choking trees: a landscaping 'epidemic'

(NEXSTAR) – It may look like an innocuous garden feature to you, but to arborists, these piles of mulch are an atrocity.

They're nicknamed "mulch volcanoes" – essentially a mound of moisture-retaining mulch that's piled up around the trunk of a tree. Well-intentioned gardeners may think this helps a tree get more water, but that volcano could actually be killing the trees in your yard.

"We want to say no to mulch volcanoes," says Emily Porter with the University of Maryland Extension. "This is happening way too much. It's an epidemic in our landscapes."

"These mulch monstrosities have been a source of continual frustration for anyone who cares for trees or cares about trees," agrees Ohio State University Extension professor Joe Boggs in a blog post. "Yet, despite years of educational ef