Should you carve hearts in trees?

Ever carved your initials in a tree? What better symbol of everlasting love? Even our mascot Garry Oak has a carved heart.

It may be romantic, but carving spells O-U-C-H for a living tree.

Bark is like the tree’s skin. It is waterproof, decay resistant, and protects vulnerable tissue underneath. Like a cut in your own skin, tree carving creates a pathway for pathogens and pests to enter.

Below the bark are the cells that transport a tree’s food and water—the phloem and xylem—and other cells that are responsible for the tree’s growth. Slicing through these layers disrupts the flow of water, sugar, and nutrients throughout the tree. In bad cases, the tree can decline or even starve to death. In fact, girdling—making a deep cut all the way around the trunk—is a method of killing unwanted trees.

Carving isn’t the only source of bark damage in the city. Botched parallel parking jobs, lawnmowers, and careless weed-whacking injure valuable trees every day.

Considering how much good work trees do for people—cleaning our air, absorbing storm water and beautifying our neighborhoods—we owe it to our trees to keep them from injury.

Rather than carving a heart, may we suggest a better way to declare your love on Valentine’s Day (or any day)? Dedicate a tree in their name through our Gift Tree program.