A series of trees in Ho Chi Minh City were cut down.

Dozens of tamarind and royal poinciana trees over ten years old in Binh Tan and Binh Thanh districts had their branches cut off, leaving only the trunks, causing many people to feel regretful.

On the afternoon of July 30, more than a dozen tamarind trees, 30-50 cm in diameter, located in Thanh Da Park, Ward 27, Binh Thanh District, only had rough branches left, looking lifeless, interspersed with large trees that still had their branches and leaves intact. At the base of the tree were piles of hundreds of large pieces of wood, more than a hand span in diameter.

Tamarind trees in Thanh Da Park, Binh Thanh District, are left bare after being pruned. Photo: Dinh Van

Ms. Huong, 55 years old, sells fruit near the area, said the trees usually provide shade for people walking, exercising, and vendors at Thanh Da market. A few days ago, someone came to prune the branches, but when they finished, the trees only had large branches left. "I feel so sorry, it took several years for the trees to grow to provide such shade, but they were cut down in a few hours," she said.

About 15 km away, 12 royal poinciana trees in the Hoa Lam Sangri-La high-tech medical complex in Binh Tan district also had all their branches cut off, some only had trunks 3-5 m high. Most of the tree bases were still lush, with no signs of decay or pests.

A representative of the Green Environment Group (the unit in charge of maintaining trees at Thanh Da Park) said that the trees had been surveyed before being pruned. Because the tamarind tree has exposed roots, if there are many branches and leaves left, there is a risk of breaking or falling, so it must be treated.

Meanwhile, according to the instructions for planting and caring for trees in the premises of organizations and individuals issued by the Department of Construction of Ho Chi Minh City, cutting off the leaves of trees is not technically correct, affecting growth, causing safety and aesthetics. Trees that are cut off easily produce many indeterminate shoots, which when developed into branches with weak connections, are very easy to break and cause unsafety.

A row of royal poinciana trees with trunks still intact after all branches were cut off at the Hoa Lam Shangri-La high-tech medical complex in Binh Tan district. Photo: Ha Giang

In terms of expertise, Associate Professor Dang Van Ha, Director of the Institute of Landscape Architecture and Urban Greenery, said that when the tamarind, sycamore, and royal poinciana trees grow for 20-30 years, their roots begin to emerge and are easily damaged, while their branches are very soft. However, to prevent accidents, weak branches and foliage should be thinned out instead of being cut bare. "A tree that has been cut bare can grow branches and leaves again, but it takes a long time to provide shade, so it needs to be handled properly," said Mr. Ha.

Dr. Che Dinh Ly, from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, also said that pruning trees like the above is a low-cutting technique, to prevent the tree from growing branches that are too high and easily broken. Such pruning does not affect the growth of the tree much but reduces shade due to the bare foliage. However, this technique is usually only applied to young trees so that the growth of additional branches is even and the height is also appropriate.

According to him, ensuring safety to prevent trees from falling is still a prerequisite, but depending on the area and tree species, the pruning unit needs to survey and calculate appropriate measures that do not affect the tree's ability to grow, recover, or look beautiful.

Last year, more than 20 Taiwanese banyan trees in a residential area in District 8 were also cut down due to improper and excessive treatment. The District then reviewed and made a plan to restore these trees.

Gia Minh - Dinh Van

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