Mayor Cuts Down Man’s 30-Year-Old Tree, He Revenges Him In The Best Possible Way (UPDATE)
What would you do if the council ordered the death of one of your favorite trees, and then made you pay for it?
That’s what happened to one man in Redondo Beach, California, but although he lost the battle, he most certainly won the war. Because unknown to the council, the man, who’s an arborist, had a perfect way to avenge the death of his 30-year-old pepper tree. What did he do? Scroll down to find out. His story was recently shared online, and it’s since been read over 150k times.
UPDATE: Since posting this article, the author of the original post has apparently revealed that they made the whole thing up. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Credits: GoblinsStoleMyHouse
If anyone is wondering how a giant sequoia looks like, here’s a pic:
Image credits: Amelia Takacs
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Please take into fact that the giant sequoia is native and uses a lot of symbiosis to live so its help the environment and not killing native trees or plants at all and is very good for native birds GO THINK IT THROUGH and nature was here before us deal with it we need to respect it although I'm not with this mans vengeful ideas his heart was in the right place your brain is not in the right place either. Also it doesn't matter what it looks like this poor man had this tree as family imagine if someone walked up to your child and took a chain saw to him this tree was his child and they made him kill it!!!
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The Giant Sequoia grows fast, but not that fast. It takes a hundred years to mature even if you take good care of it. It'll die without irrigation. Its root system can be damaged if you merely walk by it. If you want to exact botanical revenge on someone, use bamboo.
It's a sad time indeed when people think did a bad thing, planting life in the soil, when the planet is already being uprooted by greedy individuals and companies. We borrow this planet, nature was here long before us and will be here long after we've disappeared. I think what he did was beautiful. The council should try and live with his "revenge", instead of using resources to remove them. But that's MY opinion.
@William - No. You can't just hack away at the roots of an established tree. It will die - or half of it will and that half will rot until the rest of the tree is dead.
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And as an arborist, he should have known from the beginning that his sacred pepper tree would uproot the sidewalk. This is not rocket science, it's the growing habit of the tree he chose. I'm only a Master Gardener, but even I know that making bad plant choices can lead to disaster. If he wanted a tree that would truly last, a Japanese maple would have been a saner choice.
Isn't it just possible that the tree predated the sidewalk? I know lots of areas that sidewalks were put in WELL after the area was established.
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I am happy he did it. The guy knows what he is about. Had the council involved him in the process, a solution may have been reached. I also think we could do with more trees, less roads, and a lot less overbearing mayors and city councils. This goes for congressmen and fool presidents as well
So you're fine with randomly placed trees which, if true, are sequoias?
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Only 3 years ago per above. Both coast redwood and Sierra redwood grow at a moderate rate, which means they gain between 12 and 24 inches of height in a single growing season. These trees would be easy to identify and remove at this point.
That's what I was thinking. He's senile, just like his Sequioa.
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This cries, 'hoax'. I don't see how this could be true, and that there were no laws broken. Hmmmm......just don't swallow it.
I understand this guy loves trees, but the tree roots were causing damage. We have had to cut down trees. . . one was a beautiful peach tree. . . because they were causing damage to our property. The peach tree's roots were damaging our septic tank. One tree was too close to the house and was damaging the foundation. It happens. Do you think that because you love a certain tree, that you have the right to let it encroach on property that belongs to other people, or the public? Do people not have the right to drive on safe roads, that their taxes pay for? This is petty.
I'm shocked to find that almost everybody is commenting on what a great thing he did. He's a prick! The tree was messing up infrastructure. I bet if a tree was destroying the road and sidewalk right in front of their houses they wouldn't feel the same. Think it through, people!
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I agree, click bait for gullible lefties. Of course, Im here, but only to do a bit of trolling.
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I'm not an arborist, but I *am* a California native. And frankly, I'm highly skeptical about the prospects for Sequoiadendron giganteum flourishing, or even surviving in Redondo Beach -- a location radically different in climatology, ecology and altitude from the tree's native range. Cute "stickin' it to the man story" though.
I love tress and my favorite is the redwood tree. But you can't plant a tree like that in the city! I lived in a neighborhood that had these beautiful tress but it ruined the sidewalk and the roads! As much as I would love to support more trees this wasn't done to spread the love of trees. It was done to screw the city council.
F**k the city and its tyrants. California governments need to get all the pain that they do.
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I love this story. In Australia there is a law against cutting down heritage trees. Unless they are diseased and dying you can't.A land developer built homes for the wealthy on a ridge above a valley, behind a stand of 100 year old tree all were healthy. These wealthy people got together and decided that their view was being obscured by these trees so they paid someone to cut them all down figuring they could just pay a fine. The govt fined each of the homeowners the max. fine. They charged them to plant new trees.Then they had billboards put which stated what had happened. The signs completely blocked any view of the valley and will remain there until the new trees reach the height to the trees that were cut down. They are very slow growing. The house owners will be dead before the signs come down. Karma is wonderful and kudos to the government for finding this unique solution to wealth privilege.
I was kind of hoping that he had planted a tree UNDER the mayor's house.
Do you know what trees do? Produce oxygen...do you know what we do...produce carbon dioxide and a whole heap of other harmful gassses, by generally being selfish, that are damaging our Oxygen and Nitrogen rich atmosphere. So, while the trees may have been revenge and an aesthetic comeback, this guy has actually put a foot forward for the plantet by planting big , large root forming, tall trees. That may *just* aid in combating some of our idiocy in breaking our atmosphere. While only a tiny dent, its a dent. To everyone conerned about the monetry side of things...money is just paper, paper come from trees. Its only value is that which we give it.
Trees are about a thousand times more important than any sidewalk in existence. Too bad most people are too dull to understand that.
So you're ok with the city spending your tax dollars fixing damage caused by selfish a******s?
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So they held you accountable for the damage your tree caused to public property and your solution is to cause damage to more public (and private) property? I hope they sue you for all of it. There are plenty of places to plant trees, and many alternatives to giant sequoias that don't invade the land (that you don't own and received no permission to use). Childish
Heath, you're an idiot. The man was just trying to do something good. Is that so wrong?!
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Please. Either "How a giant Sequoia looks" or "What a giant Sequoia looks like", not ever "How a giant Sequoia looks like".
Bravo for him! and boo to the mayor! Trees are sacred, more so in this day and age where pollution is everywhere.
Trees are sacred and i love crape myrtles so majestic Ivan is growing well he is my red crape myrtle
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It's a pity there are no pictures of any of the trees which he's planted. It's hard to believe nobody noticed over100 large trees growing up especially in public places where regular cleaning and maintenance works take place. But even if just a part of them survived - well-done Mr. Arborist! And I'm sorry for Clyde.
I'm sure they were noticed, but since those are protected species, it's gonna take a lot of time and money to do anything about them.
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Poor Clyde! This is a warning to all governments: Never mess up with us, nature lovers, never! We've got the Earth on our side and we'll overpower you for sure!
Sure, none of us citizens mind if your trees destroy property and cost us money.
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Did he admit to trespassing? If the trees have to be removed, he'll be paying for it just like every tax paying citizen in the city.
I'm guessing this is a spoof - while I love the idea, the trees he planted would only have survived if they were planted in an area that wasn't tended - any planted in grass would be mowed off, and any planted in landscaping would be removed by a gardener - not to mention that it sounds as if they have some pretty stringent requirements just to survive, as our climate is nowhere near the warm, wet conditions that existed wheh the species was evolving.
I am not sure planting trees counts as revenge? It is more a case of public service? Good on you.
How they love to kill. Who in their right mind could destroy something so unmistakably beautiful. Man hasn't learned the lesson of "Live WITH Nature- not against Her" :(
Clyde is BEAUTIFUL...What an amazingly beautiful tree- such character. A SIN to murder that beauty. I'm glad for what you did to avenge his murder- and all the murders of ancient trees that SHOULD be gracing our world- slain by brutes of no intelligence, ethics or morals- to try and make all fit into their version of a souless heartless plastic world.
hmm did he think about the damage to gas line? water lines? hydro lines? I guess it would depend on where he planted them on how much damage can be done but having had to pay for tree removal on my own property when the trees caused damage to driveway and foundation when they outgrew the amount of room needed for their root system although I loved my trees for 30 years I knew they had to go.
If the city let everyone's trees ruin the sidewalks, think of what a mess that would be? Why is everyone so entitled that they feel they have the right to retaliate against a perfectly reasonable requirement from the city? Imagine walkers, strollers, wheelchairs tripping on a cracked sidewalk and then suing the city.
the concil could of just gave him letter saying. "your tree is causeing an obstruction could you please do somethink" Instead of "we choping your tree you get no days to sort it out and your paying for it"
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Seems like this "vandalism" will affect people who had nothing to do with the decision to take down the tree. Sadly the sidewalk is usually not the homeowners property so this makes sense. Seems to me the tree planter is being a bit childish here?
To remove one of them will cost $1.500 <- $150.000 that will have to pay his neighbours.
He said he planted the trees--but proving that he planted a specific tree will be a problem for the city or the property owners.
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The fact that this was written by an internet troll on reddit...hahaha!
Without trees - we wouldn't exist. Humans take them for granted. They care only about themselves, and after them - who cares! The grandchildren can deal with it then! Which they won't, cause you taught them to not care about anything except themselves! But trees can't fight back. They cannot help themselves. And people who actually care can do nothing for them either. Why do we not have laws protecting the basic right of trees - the right to live? They have just as much right to life as puppies and kittens. But do you remember when animals rights didn't exist? Your neighbour can just starve & beat & kick the life out of his dog, and there was nothing you could do - there was no law preventing him from doing that. But if you try to rescue his dog then that would be theft of his "property" and therefore you would be the one punished. For trying to help a suffering animal! Or even better - remember when children's rights didn't exist? How about women's rights? Have some humanity, humans!
Humans have no respect for nature... Sad that the nature can't fight back. Trees have no rights, they have no voices, they can't defend themselves, or run away. And the general disregard for them simply horrifies me. People break them on purpose, cut them down just for fun, train their dogs to gnaw & pull at the bark, and most disappointingly, people just don't teach children to have any respect or empathy for their fellow living creatures anymore. They see kids breaking, or pulling up a tree and they just stand there, doing and saying nothing! It is now uncool to have empathy. The more psychopathic you seem - the better! >.> The "It's just a tree, I can do what ever I want" attitude is just disgusting! Such disrespect and narcissism! Who do you think you are? That tree was there long before you, it took so long to grow, to purify your air for you, to give you shade in the heat of summer, to shield the city from high winds, to help prevent flooding and so, SO much more!
Bless you what a wondergul thing to do to try and save these trees in England we have a preservation order put on our trees so they can't be cut down goid luck R.i.p Clyde.
wow! so many 'stop wasting the tax payer's money' comments I guess people like you can't see the bigger picture ha? 1. you would probably live a maximum lifespan of 100 years, but these majestic trees are going to live 2500 yrs+ (on an average, any tree has a much longer lifespan than you do). human killing trees because of the said 'inconvenience' is like a butterfly killing you because you can't bear any flowers. 2. At the rate at which Humans are burning up earth or should I say, destroying the very ecosystem that sustains our species.. any tree sprouting up deserves a welcome and support. yes, they are the best bet to save our future generations. So please, get out of the corporate-government trap of 'tax money' and fight for a healthier life instead
And in the meantime, they're going to cause major damage and expense to the people who live in the city. Don't be dumber than you can help. The tree he planted is available at any nursery for a few bucks. Plant another one int a place where it CAN grow to maturity.
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The world needs the trees to get rid of the carbon dioxide that the factories and cars that we made to pollute the air and water ways. We still cut down trees we need to sustain our beautiful world that we all live in so why don't we start looking after it instead of messing it up?
Wait a second... I know Sequoias (and Redwoods) grow fast... but we're supposed to believe they grew so fast that no one noticed them pop up and establish a 30-foot root-ball? Are they planted with magic beans?
I guess you could say he's planted roots of treeson for years to grow and branch into everyone's lives. It's a seedy mess.
I love this story and no, I don't care that people who weren't involved may be affected. Why? Because they're trees. They grow naturally where they are suited anyway. I doubt Redwoods would do much growing in Redondo Beach (there's a reason they dot the Pacific Northwest and not Los Angeles' desert), but if some of them thrive, then awesome. Enjoy them. Move your damn sidewalk instead.
A city that saves a few feet of sidewalk at the expense of a mature tree is a city that deserves whatever it gets. May the mayor of this town develop an oozing crotch sore from which he never recovers.
Good job, this trees is last mention of the past majestry, what a great trees! Just try to immaginate - they were grow everywhere, what a beauty world was be...... General sherman :-)
Petty-Yes but who hasn't done something petty to exact revenge over something they love.
100 canopy trees growing on your city ? i think that would create something unique~ when we were in architecture school we were always taught to respect the nature living in the location~ build around trees and such. The canopy trees will present design challenges in the future just hope their roots will not damage the underground utilities of this city
I believe that the trees he planted are protected and therefore they cant w***y nilly go around town now cut them down so they are screwed
They are not protected if outside of a given area. Newly planted trees planted in spiteful places are not.
Load More Replies... Thank you, sir, for your revenge. The trees you planted will be majestic and become part of history. Many blessings to you!!
Reading comprehension is important, folks! It states right in the article that it's all made up B.S. And you guys are getting all upset for him. Even if it were true, Giant Sequoias grow so slowly that a tree 2-1/2 years old is probably only 2-1/2 INCHES tall.
Oh give over, what about all the trees and wildlife removed for your house?
Well bummer...I was hoping it was a TRUE story! I think a few Sequoia's around would be great...in memory of Clyde, of course. ;o)
Whats sad is that the taxpayer will pay for the removal of these trees not they mayor
Makes perfect sense to me. But how do you keep him from taking out the large tree you planted in his yard
Suck it up! What a wonderful enlightened and creative karmic response ..... I know where I'd like to plant a few trees now.
Suck it up! What a wonderful creative and expressive karmic responce.... I know where I'd like to plant a few trees now.......
It is not true but even if it were: This idea is horrible. Causing a lot of damaging. Upsetting a lot of people who have to spend ressources (time, energy, money) for this nonsense that would be better spent elsewhere. The mayor DOESN'T OWN the city. You can't fight him by damaging the city. Bad idea. Very bad idea. Extremely bad idea. Someone who does this has no social conscience and is an egomanial narcissist.
Anyone know if this is a true story and if so, when this incident occurred and the open letter was written?
Does anyone know if this is true? If so, when did the incident occur and when was the open letter posted?
So he has basically destroyed the Mayors garden and publicly admitted guilt, i assume he will have a criminal record as a result? http://www.golfcodeweekly.com/home.html
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2017/06/the_mayor_of_redondo_beach_california_never_killed_a_tree_named_clyde.html It's not true
The fact that this was originally all written by an internet troll on reddit... haha
Natasha, i agree with your statement, but i was not talking about ones personal property or public land. What i said is that planting a tree o anything else, for that matter, in someone else property without the owners consent is illegal. Traspassing, destruction of property and malicious intent. But, anyway, the whole thing was a made up story so it doesn't matter. Thank you for being civil! 👍
Can't help but wonder if he loves trees so much why is he enjoying the fact he planted seeds of trees he knows will be destroyed. Pretty sad !!
So, when the city discovers that one or more of these "stealth trees" requires removing, the taxpayers of that town get stuck with the bill. Way to screw over your fellow citizens.
Roots might grow 30 feet long, but there's no way they could grow 30 feet wide.
30 feet in diameter? Um, length, maybe, but there is no way a root can be 3 stories tall.
He should have offered to pay for the ongoing destruction caused by his "child". Parents are responsible for their children's vandalism. Plus, those trees he planted in revenge can't possibly grow 30' diameter roots and 100', 300' in height in 3 years, can they?
These giant sequoias in the photo are many hundreds of years old, Mr. Mayor will never see them grow to this size in his lifetime.
Hope the bastard wakes up one morning screaming as tree roots strangle his junk!
UPDATE: Since posting this article, the author of the original post has apparently revealed that they made the whole thing up. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Rather than "plantIng" an update under the article stating the story was made up, how about you just "uproot" it?
I'm thinking some of the trees he planted may be protected species, so they can't be arbitrarily removed. Too funny!
This guy can't help with gloating. The problem is that he's gloated far too soon. By forewarning these people they will probably uproot these trees far before they've really developed. If he wanted revenge he should have planted Eucalyptus Trees. That is real revenge . They grow like weeds and get really big.
It's kinda like John McCain getting the chance to kick trump in his pea balls before riding off into the Arizona sunset !
If I remember correctly Giant Sequoias and possibly the California Redwoods are PROTECTED SPECIES on the Endangered Species List So If the City Council cuts them down, it's Jail time and fines as well
To be fair, Clyde was causing damage to the city's infrastructure. I guess the people who depend on that infrastructure for their life in that city don't matter as much as poor Clyde. The city had a choice whether to pay for it with his money or his neighbors'. Now his neighbors are going to have to pay far, far more when those sequoias grow up. I guess if the goal is to stick it to his neighbors, he's succeeded. Unfortunately for him, his taxes will go up too.
Funny how no-one read its a made up story, and yet they all comment on the state of Clyde and the other trees in random places
Either "how a giant sequoia looks" or "what a giant sequoia looks like." Why do I keep seeing "how a (fill in the blank) looks like" all of a sudden?
I can almost hear the chainsaws buzzing and sending you the bill, so much of your retirement saving gone, but of course this is only fake news, ha ha
B******t. Not sure some of those trees would even grow in that environment. And they sure as hell don't grow that fast. Try not to believe everything you read.
A really good joke. Considering how long it takes a Giant Sequoia to grow, the mayor himself might well be dead and buried before anyone realized just what kind of tree it is. Too bad the whole story is a hoax ;)
But a senior source said Corbyn had in fact followed the corrected protocol and it was in fact Theresa May who made the faux pas. “The correct protocol is that the Speaker and Black Rod bow on behalf of the whole of the House. Jeremy observed that protocol,” they said.
aren't giant sequoias considered an endangered plant species as well? if so then that mayor will have to get special federal permission to remove them as well. i like it
Hmmph ... this story is made up ... darn, wish it were true. Would have been hilarious to see all these sequoias popping up
If his tree was damaging a path that the public need to walk on, then what was the mayor supposed to do? Not everyone uses the road.
Trees give us life. Without them, we would not survive. Plant more trees!
Trees are not the ones that need to go... They don't hurt us... We are the ones that should stop killing our environment!
Sorry, boss, but Clyde was just a pepper tree. Pepper trees suck at being good yard trees or good street trees. In general, they aren't good urban neighbors. They kill the grass under them, get nasty sap all over your hands and clothes, and clog sewer lines, and generate waste all year long. I really do hope, though, that the sequoias exact tree revenge for Clyde's death.
The world has gone mad. Why destroy something so beautiful and so wonderful? Eish.
Why destroy something so beautiful, and wonderful? And it gives life to everyone... This world has gone bloody mad.
I think you did good, but how big did they grow in the three years they were in the soil, surely not as big as the one in the picture, big beautiful beings that they are.
Sounds deliciously wicked but I doubt it's true based on how sequoias propagate.
This didn't happen. It's fake. http://www.snopes.com/giant-sequoia/
I don't get it. What's to stop the Council cutting down all these new trees?
Trees belong in a forest. Not near houses,electrical wires,etc. Everytime a storm comes along, whatdoes the most damage: TREES. They fall on houses,cars and people. Their branches are flying projectiles. If somebody says we need trees for oxygen . There are enough trees in a forest to supply oxygen. Even if there isn't a storm,trees are destuctive. They clog drains with their root systems and tear up sidewalks. Trees are messy. Their sap gets all over cars, leaves and helicopters all over the place. Their branches resting on roofs, rot the roofs. Trees are a big mess and jazard,keep them where they belong, in the forest.
I would love to have a giant sequoiah in my yard. I love his revenge. I hate it when a tree must be cut down. It Makes me sad for the tree, the birds and squirrels. Trees are more important than sidewalks. Just my opinion.
A funny, but fake story being presented as truth. Fact-checking is your friend. http://www.snopes.com/giant-sequoia/
Please stop spreading fake stories as true. http://www.snopes.com/giant-sequoia/
i think this man is mean and vindictive and if he is an arborist he would have known better than to plant a tree that would grow that big in the first place...and now he is using native species to help him get his revenge on the mayor...it will also effect the whole town and result in these beautiful trees being killed too...what a jerk!
Aren't pepper trees considered an invasive species or is that just in FL?
I absolutely love it - and despise bureaucrats and doctrinaire bastards.
I LOVE this guy!! I think I'm gonna go plant trees everywhere. I know how this guy feels. I planted a baby tree that is now 6 years old. His name is Buddy. I would kill for that tree...
Sorry, but I think this is childish and irresponsible. It was correct to cut down the tree in his yard if it was damaging the pavement on a road. Instead of being a responsible citizen, he is reaking havoc on his own community and costing it a lot of work and money- certainly, nothing to be proud of. (If this is even true).
Completely stupid and unlikely story. A sequoia does'nt become huge in one night. In the first years, when it begins to come up, you can easily cut it with a good knife haha. That's what the mayor will do, and that's it.
I feel like this was placed in the wrong section of reddit. this is under r/trees
Our city council in Bordeaux is also obessed by cutting magnificent trees. What happened to these people are they sick? Makes me so sad. Trees suffer like humans when you cut them. It is named MURDER
Thie guy committed legal trespass and damage to property when he plants many, even most, of his revenge trees. I guess he expects to be dead before the trees are big enough to be seen, by some, as nuisances. I'm sorry his tree got kill and sorry he had to pay the costs of removing it but we do live in a society.
Hmm... this doesn't pass the smell test to me. But there's an easy way to find out. I live on the border of Redondo Beach so I'll drive over to City Hall and look for the alleged sprouting sequoias...
Clyde now you belong in the history Book of Redondo Beach California 🌳
This guy is a serious jerk. Not only is he breaking the law but his devious work will be a total failure. Giant sequoias do not thrive in Southern California coastal areas like Redondo Beach they will probably just die. He wasted his money and no one will care.
Exactly he didn't hurt anyone. They hurt him killing his tree Clyde.and had to pay too.
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And the author actually thinks the city has and will continue to leave the trees growing? Cities don't tend to leave trees they didn't plant to grow unchecked, not to mention Redondo Beach does not have the climate needed for the trees to thrive.
Pepper trees are a menace, which this guy -- as an arborist -- must have known. They are infamous for their aggressive, destructive root systems, and they are on invasive species lists, meaning it is illegal in some locations to grow them. They crowd out native plants and and destroy the habitat for animals that depend on native plants. They drop lots of large debris (berries, flowers), and branches break and fall even without wind. They are in the same poisonous plant family as poison oak, and their leaves can cause similar allergic skin reactions in some people. I am sorry that he is such an unhappy person. This sounds like the perfect tree for an angry man, and – having tripped over many uneven sidewaliks in my life -- I can certainly understand why his neighbors might complain and the city might order removal and payment for damage to city property. Had he been truly wronged, his Johnny Redwoodseed response might be heroic, but in this case he should be shamed not supported.
and it is amazing how many comments are supporting this fool! thank you for your input!!!
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Sounds like a d**k move : ( I say that because you are gonna end up getting more trees killed. The previous owner of my house thought it was "awesome" to plant Bamboo and those darn things are taking over my yard, house, LIFE!! I love trees but some are just invasive as hell.
What a jerk. Where does he think the money will come from to uproot all those trees he planted? From his neighbors in the form of taxes.
PERFECT!! You have planned well and done well. What a guy, and what a tree was Clyde. We shall all miss him. But his family will live on. Revenge is sweet.
I couldn't lmagine it to be true. I also write that type of fiction in blogs and forums etc...
I think your a Mother Nature WARRIOR! YOU GO! I absolutely love this article and I have a question for only you about a Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree. I figured out something so cool!
There are far to many of these "little hitlers" in councils the world over who enjoy lording it over people too much. If we must have so many of these local regulations, then it is the responsibility of the council to make sure that the people they employ to enforce these rules are "stable" and are able to handle the power they have been given. To have so many citizens turn against the council because of the way these regulations have been handled is not good for all of us. To have so many citizens looking for ways to get back at the council is not healthy. It is the councils fault that they employ these type of people knowing their over zealousness will increase incomes. Its unhealthy and a problem the world over.
Good for him..lol I hope he planted it close up to the mayor's house as well.
Neither of those trees grow in that climate zone.... Sequoias need to be at an elevation of 5,000 feet....
Aren't sequoia trees protected in California? Can they legally remove them?
Having this published to get even was not the smartest move.......now he has admitted to doing so, if he lives long enough, he can be charged with the removal of all these trees he planted...on the other hand I don't blame him......how can the city have so much control over someone else's property......and a tree! Officials seemed to have gone where they were not welcomed and had no business so this man's feelings I can understand but going public? I would have taken it to my grave......
All the problem could be avoided if they simply had chosen to make a little bridge over the broken sidewalk, like 5 feet long. And that could be more cheap and beauty than chopping the tree off.
Aren't Giant Sequoias a protected species and as such cannot be killed?
The bigger story is the slow, stealthy loss of property rights via U.N. Sustainable Development. And the west coast is ground zero, all in the name of AGW - anthropomorphic global warming. They who control energy control the world.
well hat was a pretty stupid revenge, only the tee in the mayors yard will cost him anything, all the others will have to be payed by the tax payers, one of whom I assume is the silly bugger that planted them.
Sweet revenge of an arborist! Still, trees should be in a community of trees where they protect, nourish and communicate to other trees. I'm reading "The Hidden Life of Trees" by Peter Wohlleben. Pray those trees you planted will live as long as possible given the changes of our environment..."Humanity is at the threshold of great global change, world change on a scale never seen before, caused now by humanity’s misuse and overuse of the world, by human ignorance and human greed. It is a condition now that will affect the lives of every person. Though few are yet aware of it, it is a global emergency. You have changed the chemistry of the atmosphere, of the waters and the soils. And now the world is changing—changing so rapidly, so dangerously, changing now in ways that will affect you more than you realize." http://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-1/new-world/the-global-emergency
Dude probably isn't even the mayor anymore, has no idea about this or is laughing at how his unbeknownst successor is going to have to clean up all this s**t.
Soooooooo, he planted the trees and then told them he did?? What happens when they use his confession to force him to pay for the removal? just askin...'
Studies have shown that sidewalk damage is just as common where there are no trees as where there are. Soil moves, expands and contracts, and thin, poorly reinforced sidewalks suffer. The trees are a minor factor, at best. OTOH< anyone who ever owned property in a city should know that the right-of-way is not yours, and if you plant in the ROW you may lose your plants when the city decides to work there. Now, if the tree in question was outside the ROW and they still made him remove it, I would say he failed as an arborist, because he should have been able to make the case that the problem could be resolved without the tree removal.
If he lived in Redondo beach, can, and planted it 30 years ago, whether there were sidewalks or not, any property in a beach area is prime real estate, and I can see the mayor bypassing this man, not giving him the chance to cut back the roots and making him rip it out, because most politicians, even local ones, are more concerned about bringing tourists to their city and avoiding lawsuits from cracked sidewalks and finding a way for the taxpayer to pay for what city works should be taking care of.
Well, it's the citizens who pay taxes that he is making pay the bill, not the city. Must be a leftist who thinks government money doesn't have to be taken from the taxpayers
He planted them on city property, the city cost him money and his tree, if I lived there I would gladly pay my share for this justice.
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Idiot mayor! Poor Clyde! I get the poor man. We had a boulevard full of trees, they provided shadow in the summer until our ex-mayor decided to cut the off because...a damn building wasn't visible from a mile away. They planted some japanese bushes, we cook ourselves in the summer in all tha heat and sun. After 2 years of protests, they planted some baby trees instead the ones they killed, but it will take years until they'll grow up as big as their predecesors. Some humans only know destroy things others worked and fought for and that's just sad.
God bless this man. RIP Clyde. This man just became my new personal hero.
He should have somehow gotten a law protecting the redwood/sequoia trees....
This article is so full of inconsistencies, half truths and missing information, that it is hard to take seriously. first, the growth cycle as stated here is way off. Redwoods and Sequoias take a lot longer to mature, and are easy to kill as saplings. Second, any cost to the town to remove them, through the Public Works dept., would be charged to the town budget, not the mayor - the citizens would be paying the bill. Third, in order to plant that many trees on public and private property unnoticed would be virtually impossible, and at quite an expense on his part. And why was he ordered to remove the pepper tree to begin with? In other words, this article is BS.
I think this is probably a bit of a "tall tale". If a Coast Redwood had perfect growing conditions, which it doesn't in SoCal, it might grow 2.5' - 3' / year which would make those trees 8'-9' tall now. The root system of a tree of that size is unlikely to have grown to 30' in diameter because the crown of the tree is not that large. Removing a 9' tall tree would hardly cost $1,500 because it could be done in about 30 seconds with a chainsaw. So this seems like someone's dream of sticking it to the Man with an environmental do-gooder's weapon. I'm just not buying it.
I planted Bamboo all over a former landlord's yard once for revenge.
Awesome revenge only I hope the mayor doesn't then sick lawyers on that guy to pay for all the damage those roots will eventually cause.
Revenge is best serve cold.....or so they say...... Nice one..... For Clyde
Both sides on this one are jackasses. The tree should have been transplanted away from whatever it's damaging, if it's that precious to the owner. The City should not have demanded removal of the tree, simply reparations for whatever damage it causes to city property. To the Mayor and city council all I can say is... "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpit hair."
Well done. Trees are necessary for our environment. Rest in Peace Clyde..... your children will grow and grown lol. Brilliant.
And by that he gave the Mayor exact idea where and for what to look for to chop them down. I'd keep it to myself if I were in his shoes. Not to mention commiting publicly to that action will cause him to pay for taking the trees down. The only ones suffering will be the trees. Bravo.
You know what is great about him planting about a 130 Redwood and Sequoia Trees is he's taking it on himself to replenish the ECO system in California in what man nearly destroyed off the face of the earth! Contrary to what this city council did the reforesting of these beautiful trees is kind of wonderful. However these trees usually live by getting their moisture from rain or fog and fog is very important for them to live and servive and thrive and with out the fog off the ocean. These trees are well beyond the what's considered the fog belt habitat they grow in normally. So if these trees grow there that Mayor would be stupid to cut them down. Besides they are beautiful!
While I fully agree with his sentiments, I wonder if he could be prosecuted for this. It sounds a lot like willful vandalism to me.
But the mayor wouldn't pay for anything. the taxpayer would pay. the mayor would probably retire before any of them grew. this is lame
Great story, it got everyone talking didn't it? Writing the story is revenge in itself, sweet, but most unlikely to be true.... it will have made the officious 'chap' sweat though. Love it!
That picture is in Sequoia National Park, in CA. That's the Giant Forest Museum. Federal land.
I don't advocate revenge. I choose to view this as paying it forward ;)
Meh well not sure what type of revenge this is but imagine how much he spent on those trees to plant them in the first place. Ehhh
I am wondering just who writes this stuff. It's absolutely the worst sentence structure I've seen since primary school. "If anyone is wondering how a giant sequoia looks like, ..." . It just hurt to read this stuff outloud.
I call bs. If he's upset about the cost of removing his pepper tree, it can't come anywhere close to the cost of procuring 45 redwoods and 82 sequoias, not to mention the time expended to plant 127 trees.
I wonder if he realizes that Steve Aspel is no longer Mayor of Redondo Beach. He lost the last election. I also wonder how he gained access to Mr. Aspel's backyard. Wouldn't that be trespassing? Also, if I saw a tree starting to grow in the middle of my backyard that I didn't put there and didn't want there, I'd be mowing it down when I mowed the yard.
I like it but I worry for the old man that he just signed a confession letter and will be financially responsible for the 100 trees being removed.
The best part not mentioned in the story? "Quite a lot of these trees have been logged since the discovery of these forests. To keep the few remaining stands safe for the future, most of the groves are now contained within the National Parks of the US and or the State Parks of California. Of course they cannot be be cut down there but also outside of the parks, logging of giant sequoia is prohibited by law." https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/trees/giantsequoia/california/ BEAUTIFUL!
He has admitted to planting them with ill intent in mind. Therefore the cost of damages are his. The revenge was great. Bragging in a letter is evidence.
brain over brawn works best again....although he probably should have kept quiet about it and watched from afar.
May Clyde's legacy continue on. Good for you Mr Arborist man, what right do we have to pull down such magnificent trees - us humans need to learn our place in the world...
LOL....r/trees ehh... hope this isnt reddit's sub group because that would be funny.
Never thought about using a tree for revenge....I'm more of a Racoon P**s sorta person myself. A squirt here, a squirt there....and you'll be smelling Racoon Whiz for a long long time. I'm not a fan of those who hide behind their rules and regulations to screw with me. I don't bother anyone...and won't be bothered by anyone either.
And, Sequoias are a protected species. The $1,500 removal cost includes a whopping big fine.
Groot could not be killed either! I say this is just revenge for killing Clyde!
Groot could not be killed either. I say this is just revenge for the death of Clyde!!
I guess you could say that he planted roots of treeson for years to come.
Unfortunately the city counsel will not be footing the bill. The tax payers of the area will and they had nothing to do with this. Sorry about Clyde I hate cutting down trees as well. But you didn't get revenge on the counsel you screwed your neighbors and friends.
Nice story but if he really wanted revenge he would have started a highly invasive type of bamboo or kuzu. Something that grows very fast and is hell to get rid of.
Unlikely the trees listed would live with no care to get big enough to matter. If he wanted revenge he should have started kuzu and the invasive type of bamboo.
That was one of the best "revenges" I have ever witnessed! Bravo to you sir! Bravo!!
If your tree impedes traffic, then it's up to your city to correct it. The up-ended street and/or sidewalk is a tort waiting to happen if someone is injured because of it. Therefore you would be liable for any and all injuries. I hate that you lost your friend, truly I am. I had a mighty oak tree when I was a child. I loved it. I sat by it every single day of my life. But I lived in a company town and no one owned anything, not even our homes. When the Company rousted us out, they tore down all our houses and all our trees, including my beloved oak. I don't think I'll ever get over it. I know how you feel.
That's nut!!! Leave that tree alone! Remove that tree is like killed a child. That's murder! !
Are those trees protected in some areas because that would be "the bark on the tree!" Who's to say the dude won't have them removed as well. It is brilliant, but I think it would have been better to keep it quiet
Tree roots that up end pavement or sidewalks are torts waiting to happen if someone is injured by them. If they are on city property, then it is the city's responsibility to protect citizens. I hate that you lost your tree, truly. Plant your new pepper tree farther away from the road. xxxoooo
But they'll undoubtedly cut those trees down, too. Other than misery for the people targeted, will there be a net gain in giant sequoias? How do we get more big trees?
not much revenge cause he going have to pay for the mayor uproot the pepper tree when small
Would have been even better if it was illegal to remove a giant sequoia!!!
This is not going to work, unless he tends to those trees every day for the next hundred years. That's how long it will take to grow a giant sequoia to maturity, assuming perfect irrigation, fertilization, keeping people away (just walking too close can damage the roots). If you want to exact botanical revenge on someone, use bamboo.
I thought California Redwoods and Giant Sequoias were also protected by law? If so, the city better get used to having them around.... ;)
That would of been awesome. Teach him as lesson.
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Right....and in the litigious USA the council won't sue this dude ?
The rules my city has are draconian about doing anything in the "green space" and are nearly universally ignored. Based on the rules, there are either many thousands of permits with a detailed plan of work and materials or many thousands of violators every year.
Yea, except by the time the problem is noticed and needs to be paid for the mayor you hate will be long out of office and the people you will stick with the bill are your neighbors. These people suffer under the same city code enforcement nanny state you do so you're just being a jerk.
Maybe they'll see fit to do something about the s****y laws the people they elected have created then. ;)
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Finally taxpayers will have to dish out the money if they are to be removed.
Notice how he says clyde's roots began to penetrate the "pavement outside my house" You mean the SIDEWALK? The sidewalk that is city property where people walking or running could easily trip over these roots pushing up the pavement. You need to grow the f**k up! And as for planting all those sequioas, well you've just ensured their death as well haven't you.
I love trees too. I love the idea of getting revenge but I'm afraid the same thing that happened to Clyde is going to happen to the new trees. I enjoyed the story but towards the end all I kept thinking was "oh God those a******s are going to cut them down!!" I'm crossing my fingers that that won't happen and the mayor gets to meet Karma..cause she's a real b**ch
Protected trees are protected no matter where they are, you can't even trim them on your property without the proper permits and permission.
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I don't know how much damage the roots were causing and no idea if there could be anything else done without having to kill the tree. I do hate when they remove trees for no good reason. Where I used to live, they removed all the grown trees near a sports-parc (not sequoias just regular trees :P ) because they wanted to put a path there... Then they planted new saplings next to the new path... (maybe not even 1 meter from where the other trees were? Pointless really) And I do understand this man's want for revenge. But you know you still won't hurt city council right? It's not them that will be paying the bill. It's the taxpayers...
city hall wins anyway, that mayor won't pay for it. and what if he moves?
b e s t r e v e n g e e v a a a a h h h h PS: Clyde, your death was given justice by your awesome father.
Not practical, not funny, not true. As if there's not enough false information to deal with.
All b******t ... this is fiction. boredpanda is becoming spammier by the day.
If you want a good road system, do not plant trees within root distance of the pavement. It will stuff them up. They will crack and heave.
I think the point of this revenge plot is that it's illegal in California to cut down a sequoia or a redwood...
I love how some people are suggesting non native invasive species such as Kudzu and Japanese maple should've been used. These are choking out the indigenous species all over the US!
I love how some people are suggesting invasive species instead like Japanese maple and Kudzu. These non native plants are choking out the native ones. The guy is an arborist, he chose a tree indigenous to his area, that will live in harmony with its habitat, not overtake it.
Did he plant crape myrtles? they are my favorite i have a red one named Ivan and i LOVE him
I am still stuck on how a "professional arborist" would make the newbie mistake of planting a tree so close to a sidewalk.
I can get behind him planting native trees, but pepper trees don't deserve to be avenged. They're an invasive species brought in from Peru. (Yes, even the California pepper is NOT a Californian native.) So therefore planting one is doing harm to the environment.
So for his love of trees, he plants giant trees that will, if they even grow, be cut down in their prime because they pose a nuisance. Also, if he's an arborist, he'd know that Sequoias and redwoods don't grow very well in SoCal. Stupid piece.
correct me if im wrong, but he planted so many other trees and he is okay that they will remove them as long as they must paid for this 1,500 for each? i hope i didnt understand this correctly because these trees are living beings as Clyde
I actualy cried, in my house we have 2 100+ years old trees, and i love them deeply, when we have to cut some dameged branches i get so sad, my trees are part of my family, if someone were to touch them i'd kill the bastard
For those that think this story is true, I present the following, per the story. Tree planting occurred around 3 years ago (Aspel not in office now). Sequoias grow approx 2" in diameter. They will grow around 4' tall a year. This means there should be a ton of these trees that are easy to spot out: 12 feet tall, 6" diameter trunk. Their optimal growing local is in the mountainous regions. Where are pictures of these? Further, as a arborist he should know that these trees require A LOT of water due to rapid growth. So for all you applauding him, know that droughts have been a big issue in California. This environmental win is most certainly not one. Let's move on to Clyde: a tree famous for invasive roots- the kind famous for destroying not only sidewalks but water/sewer pipes as well. This non-native tree (despite it being called a California pepper tree) crowds out native flora. In addition, the seeds? Can be very toxic. So...b******t story or raging a*****e?
Trees help prevent droughts and mudslides. The coastal temperate rainforests are evolved to survive feast and famine, fire and flood. Redwoods have a lot of tannen in their bark and their root ststems are wide and deep and far reaching . If you want to slow climate change, prevent droughts that last decades and mudslides due to occasional torrential rainfall as well as a complete loss of earth holding vegetation during fire season, plant the species that revolved there and damn the sidewalks!
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Guess he is just avenging the fine rather than the tree. He just wants it to cost them the way it cost him. The council will obviously uproot the trees as soon as they get to know to avoid future damage. The trees are going to die anyway. What purpose is the revenge serving? Why break the law and expect nobody to take any action? He himself was responsible for the death of his beloved tree if at all he did love it. The story sounds so fake.
What law did he break? Did you know that sequoias are a protected species? They can't just cut them down. If the story is real, he's won. He didn't break any laws, and they can't do anything about the trees. :D
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This guy is an a$$hole. I'm sorry about his tree. As in singular...ONE TREE, but it does not entitle him to change the landscape of the city
What a self-centred jerk. The council had, by his own admission, a reason for wanting his tree removed - if he was such a 'tree expert', he should have known the likely consequences when he nurtured the young tree. Now the council is likely to have to pay for the removal of some of his petty revenge trees - to the detriment of other initiatives that it could fund for the community's safety and longevity. Not to mention the umnecessary destruction of trees that could otherwise be planted in appropriate locations where they could have thrived for many years. All because this one jerk thinks 'avenging' his little issue is top priority!
I'm with you. Where exactly is his revenge? Those trees he planted will most likely be removed while they are still small. What a waste.
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Please take into fact that the giant sequoia is native and uses a lot of symbiosis to live so its help the environment and not killing native trees or plants at all and is very good for native birds GO THINK IT THROUGH and nature was here before us deal with it we need to respect it although I'm not with this mans vengeful ideas his heart was in the right place your brain is not in the right place either. Also it doesn't matter what it looks like this poor man had this tree as family imagine if someone walked up to your child and took a chain saw to him this tree was his child and they made him kill it!!!
Load More Replies... The Giant Sequoia grows fast, but not that fast. It takes a hundred years to mature even if you take good care of it. It'll die without irrigation. Its root system can be damaged if you merely walk by it. If you want to exact botanical revenge on someone, use bamboo.
It's a sad time indeed when people think did a bad thing, planting life in the soil, when the planet is already being uprooted by greedy individuals and companies. We borrow this planet, nature was here long before us and will be here long after we've disappeared. I think what he did was beautiful. The council should try and live with his "revenge", instead of using resources to remove them. But that's MY opinion.
@William - No. You can't just hack away at the roots of an established tree. It will die - or half of it will and that half will rot until the rest of the tree is dead.
Load More Replies... And as an arborist, he should have known from the beginning that his sacred pepper tree would uproot the sidewalk. This is not rocket science, it's the growing habit of the tree he chose. I'm only a Master Gardener, but even I know that making bad plant choices can lead to disaster. If he wanted a tree that would truly last, a Japanese maple would have been a saner choice.
Isn't it just possible that the tree predated the sidewalk? I know lots of areas that sidewalks were put in WELL after the area was established.
Load More Replies... I am happy he did it. The guy knows what he is about. Had the council involved him in the process, a solution may have been reached. I also think we could do with more trees, less roads, and a lot less overbearing mayors and city councils. This goes for congressmen and fool presidents as well
So you're fine with randomly placed trees which, if true, are sequoias?
Load More Replies... Only 3 years ago per above. Both coast redwood and Sierra redwood grow at a moderate rate, which means they gain between 12 and 24 inches of height in a single growing season. These trees would be easy to identify and remove at this point.
That's what I was thinking. He's senile, just like his Sequioa.
Load More Replies... This cries, 'hoax'. I don't see how this could be true, and that there were no laws broken. Hmmmm......just don't swallow it.
I understand this guy loves trees, but the tree roots were causing damage. We have had to cut down trees. . . one was a beautiful peach tree. . . because they were causing damage to our property. The peach tree's roots were damaging our septic tank. One tree was too close to the house and was damaging the foundation. It happens. Do you think that because you love a certain tree, that you have the right to let it encroach on property that belongs to other people, or the public? Do people not have the right to drive on safe roads, that their taxes pay for? This is petty.
I'm shocked to find that almost everybody is commenting on what a great thing he did. He's a prick! The tree was messing up infrastructure. I bet if a tree was destroying the road and sidewalk right in front of their houses they wouldn't feel the same. Think it through, people!
Load More Replies... I agree, click bait for gullible lefties. Of course, Im here, but only to do a bit of trolling.
Load More Replies... I'm not an arborist, but I *am* a California native. And frankly, I'm highly skeptical about the prospects for Sequoiadendron giganteum flourishing, or even surviving in Redondo Beach -- a location radically different in climatology, ecology and altitude from the tree's native range. Cute "stickin' it to the man story" though.
I love tress and my favorite is the redwood tree. But you can't plant a tree like that in the city! I lived in a neighborhood that had these beautiful tress but it ruined the sidewalk and the roads! As much as I would love to support more trees this wasn't done to spread the love of trees. It was done to screw the city council.
F**k the city and its tyrants. California governments need to get all the pain that they do.
Load More Replies... I love this story. In Australia there is a law against cutting down heritage trees. Unless they are diseased and dying you can't.A land developer built homes for the wealthy on a ridge above a valley, behind a stand of 100 year old tree all were healthy. These wealthy people got together and decided that their view was being obscured by these trees so they paid someone to cut them all down figuring they could just pay a fine. The govt fined each of the homeowners the max. fine. They charged them to plant new trees.Then they had billboards put which stated what had happened. The signs completely blocked any view of the valley and will remain there until the new trees reach the height to the trees that were cut down. They are very slow growing. The house owners will be dead before the signs come down. Karma is wonderful and kudos to the government for finding this unique solution to wealth privilege.
I was kind of hoping that he had planted a tree UNDER the mayor's house.
Do you know what trees do? Produce oxygen...do you know what we do...produce carbon dioxide and a whole heap of other harmful gassses, by generally being selfish, that are damaging our Oxygen and Nitrogen rich atmosphere. So, while the trees may have been revenge and an aesthetic comeback, this guy has actually put a foot forward for the plantet by planting big , large root forming, tall trees. That may *just* aid in combating some of our idiocy in breaking our atmosphere. While only a tiny dent, its a dent. To everyone conerned about the monetry side of things...money is just paper, paper come from trees. Its only value is that which we give it.
Trees are about a thousand times more important than any sidewalk in existence. Too bad most people are too dull to understand that.
So you're ok with the city spending your tax dollars fixing damage caused by selfish a******s?
Load More Replies... So they held you accountable for the damage your tree caused to public property and your solution is to cause damage to more public (and private) property? I hope they sue you for all of it. There are plenty of places to plant trees, and many alternatives to giant sequoias that don't invade the land (that you don't own and received no permission to use). Childish
Heath, you're an idiot. The man was just trying to do something good. Is that so wrong?!
Load More Replies... Please. Either "How a giant Sequoia looks" or "What a giant Sequoia looks like", not ever "How a giant Sequoia looks like".
Bravo for him! and boo to the mayor! Trees are sacred, more so in this day and age where pollution is everywhere.
Trees are sacred and i love crape myrtles so majestic Ivan is growing well he is my red crape myrtle
Load More Replies... It's a pity there are no pictures of any of the trees which he's planted. It's hard to believe nobody noticed over100 large trees growing up especially in public places where regular cleaning and maintenance works take place. But even if just a part of them survived - well-done Mr. Arborist! And I'm sorry for Clyde.
I'm sure they were noticed, but since those are protected species, it's gonna take a lot of time and money to do anything about them.
Load More Replies... Poor Clyde! This is a warning to all governments: Never mess up with us, nature lovers, never! We've got the Earth on our side and we'll overpower you for sure!
Sure, none of us citizens mind if your trees destroy property and cost us money.
Load More Replies... Did he admit to trespassing? If the trees have to be removed, he'll be paying for it just like every tax paying citizen in the city.
I'm guessing this is a spoof - while I love the idea, the trees he planted would only have survived if they were planted in an area that wasn't tended - any planted in grass would be mowed off, and any planted in landscaping would be removed by a gardener - not to mention that it sounds as if they have some pretty stringent requirements just to survive, as our climate is nowhere near the warm, wet conditions that existed wheh the species was evolving.
I am not sure planting trees counts as revenge? It is more a case of public service? Good on you.
How they love to kill. Who in their right mind could destroy something so unmistakably beautiful. Man hasn't learned the lesson of "Live WITH Nature- not against Her" :(
Clyde is BEAUTIFUL...What an amazingly beautiful tree- such character. A SIN to murder that beauty. I'm glad for what you did to avenge his murder- and all the murders of ancient trees that SHOULD be gracing our world- slain by brutes of no intelligence, ethics or morals- to try and make all fit into their version of a souless heartless plastic world.
hmm did he think about the damage to gas line? water lines? hydro lines? I guess it would depend on where he planted them on how much damage can be done but having had to pay for tree removal on my own property when the trees caused damage to driveway and foundation when they outgrew the amount of room needed for their root system although I loved my trees for 30 years I knew they had to go.
If the city let everyone's trees ruin the sidewalks, think of what a mess that would be? Why is everyone so entitled that they feel they have the right to retaliate against a perfectly reasonable requirement from the city? Imagine walkers, strollers, wheelchairs tripping on a cracked sidewalk and then suing the city.
the concil could of just gave him letter saying. "your tree is causeing an obstruction could you please do somethink" Instead of "we choping your tree you get no days to sort it out and your paying for it"
Load More Replies... Seems like this "vandalism" will affect people who had nothing to do with the decision to take down the tree. Sadly the sidewalk is usually not the homeowners property so this makes sense. Seems to me the tree planter is being a bit childish here?
To remove one of them will cost $1.500 <- $150.000 that will have to pay his neighbours.
He said he planted the trees--but proving that he planted a specific tree will be a problem for the city or the property owners.
Load More Replies... The fact that this was written by an internet troll on reddit...hahaha!
Without trees - we wouldn't exist. Humans take them for granted. They care only about themselves, and after them - who cares! The grandchildren can deal with it then! Which they won't, cause you taught them to not care about anything except themselves! But trees can't fight back. They cannot help themselves. And people who actually care can do nothing for them either. Why do we not have laws protecting the basic right of trees - the right to live? They have just as much right to life as puppies and kittens. But do you remember when animals rights didn't exist? Your neighbour can just starve & beat & kick the life out of his dog, and there was nothing you could do - there was no law preventing him from doing that. But if you try to rescue his dog then that would be theft of his "property" and therefore you would be the one punished. For trying to help a suffering animal! Or even better - remember when children's rights didn't exist? How about women's rights? Have some humanity, humans!
Humans have no respect for nature... Sad that the nature can't fight back. Trees have no rights, they have no voices, they can't defend themselves, or run away. And the general disregard for them simply horrifies me. People break them on purpose, cut them down just for fun, train their dogs to gnaw & pull at the bark, and most disappointingly, people just don't teach children to have any respect or empathy for their fellow living creatures anymore. They see kids breaking, or pulling up a tree and they just stand there, doing and saying nothing! It is now uncool to have empathy. The more psychopathic you seem - the better! >.> The "It's just a tree, I can do what ever I want" attitude is just disgusting! Such disrespect and narcissism! Who do you think you are? That tree was there long before you, it took so long to grow, to purify your air for you, to give you shade in the heat of summer, to shield the city from high winds, to help prevent flooding and so, SO much more!
Bless you what a wondergul thing to do to try and save these trees in England we have a preservation order put on our trees so they can't be cut down goid luck R.i.p Clyde.
wow! so many 'stop wasting the tax payer's money' comments I guess people like you can't see the bigger picture ha? 1. you would probably live a maximum lifespan of 100 years, but these majestic trees are going to live 2500 yrs+ (on an average, any tree has a much longer lifespan than you do). human killing trees because of the said 'inconvenience' is like a butterfly killing you because you can't bear any flowers. 2. At the rate at which Humans are burning up earth or should I say, destroying the very ecosystem that sustains our species.. any tree sprouting up deserves a welcome and support. yes, they are the best bet to save our future generations. So please, get out of the corporate-government trap of 'tax money' and fight for a healthier life instead
And in the meantime, they're going to cause major damage and expense to the people who live in the city. Don't be dumber than you can help. The tree he planted is available at any nursery for a few bucks. Plant another one int a place where it CAN grow to maturity.
Load More Replies... The world needs the trees to get rid of the carbon dioxide that the factories and cars that we made to pollute the air and water ways. We still cut down trees we need to sustain our beautiful world that we all live in so why don't we start looking after it instead of messing it up?
Wait a second... I know Sequoias (and Redwoods) grow fast... but we're supposed to believe they grew so fast that no one noticed them pop up and establish a 30-foot root-ball? Are they planted with magic beans?
I guess you could say he's planted roots of treeson for years to grow and branch into everyone's lives. It's a seedy mess.
I love this story and no, I don't care that people who weren't involved may be affected. Why? Because they're trees. They grow naturally where they are suited anyway. I doubt Redwoods would do much growing in Redondo Beach (there's a reason they dot the Pacific Northwest and not Los Angeles' desert), but if some of them thrive, then awesome. Enjoy them. Move your damn sidewalk instead.
A city that saves a few feet of sidewalk at the expense of a mature tree is a city that deserves whatever it gets. May the mayor of this town develop an oozing crotch sore from which he never recovers.
Good job, this trees is last mention of the past majestry, what a great trees! Just try to immaginate - they were grow everywhere, what a beauty world was be...... General sherman :-)
Petty-Yes but who hasn't done something petty to exact revenge over something they love.
100 canopy trees growing on your city ? i think that would create something unique~ when we were in architecture school we were always taught to respect the nature living in the location~ build around trees and such. The canopy trees will present design challenges in the future just hope their roots will not damage the underground utilities of this city
I believe that the trees he planted are protected and therefore they cant w***y nilly go around town now cut them down so they are screwed
They are not protected if outside of a given area. Newly planted trees planted in spiteful places are not.
Load More Replies... Thank you, sir, for your revenge. The trees you planted will be majestic and become part of history. Many blessings to you!!
Reading comprehension is important, folks! It states right in the article that it's all made up B.S. And you guys are getting all upset for him. Even if it were true, Giant Sequoias grow so slowly that a tree 2-1/2 years old is probably only 2-1/2 INCHES tall.
Oh give over, what about all the trees and wildlife removed for your house?
Well bummer...I was hoping it was a TRUE story! I think a few Sequoia's around would be great...in memory of Clyde, of course. ;o)
Whats sad is that the taxpayer will pay for the removal of these trees not they mayor
Makes perfect sense to me. But how do you keep him from taking out the large tree you planted in his yard
Suck it up! What a wonderful enlightened and creative karmic response ..... I know where I'd like to plant a few trees now.
Suck it up! What a wonderful creative and expressive karmic responce.... I know where I'd like to plant a few trees now.......
It is not true but even if it were: This idea is horrible. Causing a lot of damaging. Upsetting a lot of people who have to spend ressources (time, energy, money) for this nonsense that would be better spent elsewhere. The mayor DOESN'T OWN the city. You can't fight him by damaging the city. Bad idea. Very bad idea. Extremely bad idea. Someone who does this has no social conscience and is an egomanial narcissist.
Anyone know if this is a true story and if so, when this incident occurred and the open letter was written?
Does anyone know if this is true? If so, when did the incident occur and when was the open letter posted?
So he has basically destroyed the Mayors garden and publicly admitted guilt, i assume he will have a criminal record as a result? http://www.golfcodeweekly.com/home.html
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2017/06/the_mayor_of_redondo_beach_california_never_killed_a_tree_named_clyde.html It's not true
The fact that this was originally all written by an internet troll on reddit... haha
Natasha, i agree with your statement, but i was not talking about ones personal property or public land. What i said is that planting a tree o anything else, for that matter, in someone else property without the owners consent is illegal. Traspassing, destruction of property and malicious intent. But, anyway, the whole thing was a made up story so it doesn't matter. Thank you for being civil! 👍
Can't help but wonder if he loves trees so much why is he enjoying the fact he planted seeds of trees he knows will be destroyed. Pretty sad !!
So, when the city discovers that one or more of these "stealth trees" requires removing, the taxpayers of that town get stuck with the bill. Way to screw over your fellow citizens.
Roots might grow 30 feet long, but there's no way they could grow 30 feet wide.
30 feet in diameter? Um, length, maybe, but there is no way a root can be 3 stories tall.
He should have offered to pay for the ongoing destruction caused by his "child". Parents are responsible for their children's vandalism. Plus, those trees he planted in revenge can't possibly grow 30' diameter roots and 100', 300' in height in 3 years, can they?
These giant sequoias in the photo are many hundreds of years old, Mr. Mayor will never see them grow to this size in his lifetime.
Hope the bastard wakes up one morning screaming as tree roots strangle his junk!
UPDATE: Since posting this article, the author of the original post has apparently revealed that they made the whole thing up. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Rather than "plantIng" an update under the article stating the story was made up, how about you just "uproot" it?
I'm thinking some of the trees he planted may be protected species, so they can't be arbitrarily removed. Too funny!
This guy can't help with gloating. The problem is that he's gloated far too soon. By forewarning these people they will probably uproot these trees far before they've really developed. If he wanted revenge he should have planted Eucalyptus Trees. That is real revenge . They grow like weeds and get really big.
It's kinda like John McCain getting the chance to kick trump in his pea balls before riding off into the Arizona sunset !
If I remember correctly Giant Sequoias and possibly the California Redwoods are PROTECTED SPECIES on the Endangered Species List So If the City Council cuts them down, it's Jail time and fines as well
To be fair, Clyde was causing damage to the city's infrastructure. I guess the people who depend on that infrastructure for their life in that city don't matter as much as poor Clyde. The city had a choice whether to pay for it with his money or his neighbors'. Now his neighbors are going to have to pay far, far more when those sequoias grow up. I guess if the goal is to stick it to his neighbors, he's succeeded. Unfortunately for him, his taxes will go up too.
Funny how no-one read its a made up story, and yet they all comment on the state of Clyde and the other trees in random places
Either "how a giant sequoia looks" or "what a giant sequoia looks like." Why do I keep seeing "how a (fill in the blank) looks like" all of a sudden?
I can almost hear the chainsaws buzzing and sending you the bill, so much of your retirement saving gone, but of course this is only fake news, ha ha
B******t. Not sure some of those trees would even grow in that environment. And they sure as hell don't grow that fast. Try not to believe everything you read.
A really good joke. Considering how long it takes a Giant Sequoia to grow, the mayor himself might well be dead and buried before anyone realized just what kind of tree it is. Too bad the whole story is a hoax ;)
But a senior source said Corbyn had in fact followed the corrected protocol and it was in fact Theresa May who made the faux pas. “The correct protocol is that the Speaker and Black Rod bow on behalf of the whole of the House. Jeremy observed that protocol,” they said.
aren't giant sequoias considered an endangered plant species as well? if so then that mayor will have to get special federal permission to remove them as well. i like it
Hmmph ... this story is made up ... darn, wish it were true. Would have been hilarious to see all these sequoias popping up
If his tree was damaging a path that the public need to walk on, then what was the mayor supposed to do? Not everyone uses the road.
Trees give us life. Without them, we would not survive. Plant more trees!
Trees are not the ones that need to go... They don't hurt us... We are the ones that should stop killing our environment!
Sorry, boss, but Clyde was just a pepper tree. Pepper trees suck at being good yard trees or good street trees. In general, they aren't good urban neighbors. They kill the grass under them, get nasty sap all over your hands and clothes, and clog sewer lines, and generate waste all year long. I really do hope, though, that the sequoias exact tree revenge for Clyde's death.
The world has gone mad. Why destroy something so beautiful and so wonderful? Eish.
Why destroy something so beautiful, and wonderful? And it gives life to everyone... This world has gone bloody mad.
I think you did good, but how big did they grow in the three years they were in the soil, surely not as big as the one in the picture, big beautiful beings that they are.
Sounds deliciously wicked but I doubt it's true based on how sequoias propagate.
This didn't happen. It's fake. http://www.snopes.com/giant-sequoia/
I don't get it. What's to stop the Council cutting down all these new trees?
Trees belong in a forest. Not near houses,electrical wires,etc. Everytime a storm comes along, whatdoes the most damage: TREES. They fall on houses,cars and people. Their branches are flying projectiles. If somebody says we need trees for oxygen . There are enough trees in a forest to supply oxygen. Even if there isn't a storm,trees are destuctive. They clog drains with their root systems and tear up sidewalks. Trees are messy. Their sap gets all over cars, leaves and helicopters all over the place. Their branches resting on roofs, rot the roofs. Trees are a big mess and jazard,keep them where they belong, in the forest.
I would love to have a giant sequoiah in my yard. I love his revenge. I hate it when a tree must be cut down. It Makes me sad for the tree, the birds and squirrels. Trees are more important than sidewalks. Just my opinion.
A funny, but fake story being presented as truth. Fact-checking is your friend. http://www.snopes.com/giant-sequoia/
Please stop spreading fake stories as true. http://www.snopes.com/giant-sequoia/
i think this man is mean and vindictive and if he is an arborist he would have known better than to plant a tree that would grow that big in the first place...and now he is using native species to help him get his revenge on the mayor...it will also effect the whole town and result in these beautiful trees being killed too...what a jerk!
Aren't pepper trees considered an invasive species or is that just in FL?
I absolutely love it - and despise bureaucrats and doctrinaire bastards.
I LOVE this guy!! I think I'm gonna go plant trees everywhere. I know how this guy feels. I planted a baby tree that is now 6 years old. His name is Buddy. I would kill for that tree...
Sorry, but I think this is childish and irresponsible. It was correct to cut down the tree in his yard if it was damaging the pavement on a road. Instead of being a responsible citizen, he is reaking havoc on his own community and costing it a lot of work and money- certainly, nothing to be proud of. (If this is even true).
Completely stupid and unlikely story. A sequoia does'nt become huge in one night. In the first years, when it begins to come up, you can easily cut it with a good knife haha. That's what the mayor will do, and that's it.
I feel like this was placed in the wrong section of reddit. this is under r/trees
Our city council in Bordeaux is also obessed by cutting magnificent trees. What happened to these people are they sick? Makes me so sad. Trees suffer like humans when you cut them. It is named MURDER
Thie guy committed legal trespass and damage to property when he plants many, even most, of his revenge trees. I guess he expects to be dead before the trees are big enough to be seen, by some, as nuisances. I'm sorry his tree got kill and sorry he had to pay the costs of removing it but we do live in a society.
Hmm... this doesn't pass the smell test to me. But there's an easy way to find out. I live on the border of Redondo Beach so I'll drive over to City Hall and look for the alleged sprouting sequoias...
Clyde now you belong in the history Book of Redondo Beach California 🌳
This guy is a serious jerk. Not only is he breaking the law but his devious work will be a total failure. Giant sequoias do not thrive in Southern California coastal areas like Redondo Beach they will probably just die. He wasted his money and no one will care.
Exactly he didn't hurt anyone. They hurt him killing his tree Clyde.and had to pay too.
Load More Replies... And the author actually thinks the city has and will continue to leave the trees growing? Cities don't tend to leave trees they didn't plant to grow unchecked, not to mention Redondo Beach does not have the climate needed for the trees to thrive.
Pepper trees are a menace, which this guy -- as an arborist -- must have known. They are infamous for their aggressive, destructive root systems, and they are on invasive species lists, meaning it is illegal in some locations to grow them. They crowd out native plants and and destroy the habitat for animals that depend on native plants. They drop lots of large debris (berries, flowers), and branches break and fall even without wind. They are in the same poisonous plant family as poison oak, and their leaves can cause similar allergic skin reactions in some people. I am sorry that he is such an unhappy person. This sounds like the perfect tree for an angry man, and – having tripped over many uneven sidewaliks in my life -- I can certainly understand why his neighbors might complain and the city might order removal and payment for damage to city property. Had he been truly wronged, his Johnny Redwoodseed response might be heroic, but in this case he should be shamed not supported.
and it is amazing how many comments are supporting this fool! thank you for your input!!!
Load More Replies... Sounds like a d**k move : ( I say that because you are gonna end up getting more trees killed. The previous owner of my house thought it was "awesome" to plant Bamboo and those darn things are taking over my yard, house, LIFE!! I love trees but some are just invasive as hell.
What a jerk. Where does he think the money will come from to uproot all those trees he planted? From his neighbors in the form of taxes.
PERFECT!! You have planned well and done well. What a guy, and what a tree was Clyde. We shall all miss him. But his family will live on. Revenge is sweet.
I couldn't lmagine it to be true. I also write that type of fiction in blogs and forums etc...
I think your a Mother Nature WARRIOR! YOU GO! I absolutely love this article and I have a question for only you about a Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree. I figured out something so cool!
There are far to many of these "little hitlers" in councils the world over who enjoy lording it over people too much. If we must have so many of these local regulations, then it is the responsibility of the council to make sure that the people they employ to enforce these rules are "stable" and are able to handle the power they have been given. To have so many citizens turn against the council because of the way these regulations have been handled is not good for all of us. To have so many citizens looking for ways to get back at the council is not healthy. It is the councils fault that they employ these type of people knowing their over zealousness will increase incomes. Its unhealthy and a problem the world over.
Good for him..lol I hope he planted it close up to the mayor's house as well.
Neither of those trees grow in that climate zone.... Sequoias need to be at an elevation of 5,000 feet....
Aren't sequoia trees protected in California? Can they legally remove them?
Having this published to get even was not the smartest move.......now he has admitted to doing so, if he lives long enough, he can be charged with the removal of all these trees he planted...on the other hand I don't blame him......how can the city have so much control over someone else's property......and a tree! Officials seemed to have gone where they were not welcomed and had no business so this man's feelings I can understand but going public? I would have taken it to my grave......
All the problem could be avoided if they simply had chosen to make a little bridge over the broken sidewalk, like 5 feet long. And that could be more cheap and beauty than chopping the tree off.
Aren't Giant Sequoias a protected species and as such cannot be killed?
The bigger story is the slow, stealthy loss of property rights via U.N. Sustainable Development. And the west coast is ground zero, all in the name of AGW - anthropomorphic global warming. They who control energy control the world.
well hat was a pretty stupid revenge, only the tee in the mayors yard will cost him anything, all the others will have to be payed by the tax payers, one of whom I assume is the silly bugger that planted them.
Sweet revenge of an arborist! Still, trees should be in a community of trees where they protect, nourish and communicate to other trees. I'm reading "The Hidden Life of Trees" by Peter Wohlleben. Pray those trees you planted will live as long as possible given the changes of our environment..."Humanity is at the threshold of great global change, world change on a scale never seen before, caused now by humanity’s misuse and overuse of the world, by human ignorance and human greed. It is a condition now that will affect the lives of every person. Though few are yet aware of it, it is a global emergency. You have changed the chemistry of the atmosphere, of the waters and the soils. And now the world is changing—changing so rapidly, so dangerously, changing now in ways that will affect you more than you realize." http://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-1/new-world/the-global-emergency
Dude probably isn't even the mayor anymore, has no idea about this or is laughing at how his unbeknownst successor is going to have to clean up all this s**t.
Soooooooo, he planted the trees and then told them he did?? What happens when they use his confession to force him to pay for the removal? just askin...'
Studies have shown that sidewalk damage is just as common where there are no trees as where there are. Soil moves, expands and contracts, and thin, poorly reinforced sidewalks suffer. The trees are a minor factor, at best. OTOH< anyone who ever owned property in a city should know that the right-of-way is not yours, and if you plant in the ROW you may lose your plants when the city decides to work there. Now, if the tree in question was outside the ROW and they still made him remove it, I would say he failed as an arborist, because he should have been able to make the case that the problem could be resolved without the tree removal.
If he lived in Redondo beach, can, and planted it 30 years ago, whether there were sidewalks or not, any property in a beach area is prime real estate, and I can see the mayor bypassing this man, not giving him the chance to cut back the roots and making him rip it out, because most politicians, even local ones, are more concerned about bringing tourists to their city and avoiding lawsuits from cracked sidewalks and finding a way for the taxpayer to pay for what city works should be taking care of.
Well, it's the citizens who pay taxes that he is making pay the bill, not the city. Must be a leftist who thinks government money doesn't have to be taken from the taxpayers
He planted them on city property, the city cost him money and his tree, if I lived there I would gladly pay my share for this justice.
Load More Replies... Idiot mayor! Poor Clyde! I get the poor man. We had a boulevard full of trees, they provided shadow in the summer until our ex-mayor decided to cut the off because...a damn building wasn't visible from a mile away. They planted some japanese bushes, we cook ourselves in the summer in all tha heat and sun. After 2 years of protests, they planted some baby trees instead the ones they killed, but it will take years until they'll grow up as big as their predecesors. Some humans only know destroy things others worked and fought for and that's just sad.
God bless this man. RIP Clyde. This man just became my new personal hero.
He should have somehow gotten a law protecting the redwood/sequoia trees....
This article is so full of inconsistencies, half truths and missing information, that it is hard to take seriously. first, the growth cycle as stated here is way off. Redwoods and Sequoias take a lot longer to mature, and are easy to kill as saplings. Second, any cost to the town to remove them, through the Public Works dept., would be charged to the town budget, not the mayor - the citizens would be paying the bill. Third, in order to plant that many trees on public and private property unnoticed would be virtually impossible, and at quite an expense on his part. And why was he ordered to remove the pepper tree to begin with? In other words, this article is BS.
I think this is probably a bit of a "tall tale". If a Coast Redwood had perfect growing conditions, which it doesn't in SoCal, it might grow 2.5' - 3' / year which would make those trees 8'-9' tall now. The root system of a tree of that size is unlikely to have grown to 30' in diameter because the crown of the tree is not that large. Removing a 9' tall tree would hardly cost $1,500 because it could be done in about 30 seconds with a chainsaw. So this seems like someone's dream of sticking it to the Man with an environmental do-gooder's weapon. I'm just not buying it.
I planted Bamboo all over a former landlord's yard once for revenge.
Awesome revenge only I hope the mayor doesn't then sick lawyers on that guy to pay for all the damage those roots will eventually cause.
Revenge is best serve cold.....or so they say...... Nice one..... For Clyde
Both sides on this one are jackasses. The tree should have been transplanted away from whatever it's damaging, if it's that precious to the owner. The City should not have demanded removal of the tree, simply reparations for whatever damage it causes to city property. To the Mayor and city council all I can say is... "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpit hair."
Well done. Trees are necessary for our environment. Rest in Peace Clyde..... your children will grow and grown lol. Brilliant.
And by that he gave the Mayor exact idea where and for what to look for to chop them down. I'd keep it to myself if I were in his shoes. Not to mention commiting publicly to that action will cause him to pay for taking the trees down. The only ones suffering will be the trees. Bravo.
You know what is great about him planting about a 130 Redwood and Sequoia Trees is he's taking it on himself to replenish the ECO system in California in what man nearly destroyed off the face of the earth! Contrary to what this city council did the reforesting of these beautiful trees is kind of wonderful. However these trees usually live by getting their moisture from rain or fog and fog is very important for them to live and servive and thrive and with out the fog off the ocean. These trees are well beyond the what's considered the fog belt habitat they grow in normally. So if these trees grow there that Mayor would be stupid to cut them down. Besides they are beautiful!
While I fully agree with his sentiments, I wonder if he could be prosecuted for this. It sounds a lot like willful vandalism to me.
But the mayor wouldn't pay for anything. the taxpayer would pay. the mayor would probably retire before any of them grew. this is lame
Great story, it got everyone talking didn't it? Writing the story is revenge in itself, sweet, but most unlikely to be true.... it will have made the officious 'chap' sweat though. Love it!
That picture is in Sequoia National Park, in CA. That's the Giant Forest Museum. Federal land.
I don't advocate revenge. I choose to view this as paying it forward ;)
Meh well not sure what type of revenge this is but imagine how much he spent on those trees to plant them in the first place. Ehhh
I am wondering just who writes this stuff. It's absolutely the worst sentence structure I've seen since primary school. "If anyone is wondering how a giant sequoia looks like, ..." . It just hurt to read this stuff outloud.
I call bs. If he's upset about the cost of removing his pepper tree, it can't come anywhere close to the cost of procuring 45 redwoods and 82 sequoias, not to mention the time expended to plant 127 trees.
I wonder if he realizes that Steve Aspel is no longer Mayor of Redondo Beach. He lost the last election. I also wonder how he gained access to Mr. Aspel's backyard. Wouldn't that be trespassing? Also, if I saw a tree starting to grow in the middle of my backyard that I didn't put there and didn't want there, I'd be mowing it down when I mowed the yard.
I like it but I worry for the old man that he just signed a confession letter and will be financially responsible for the 100 trees being removed.
The best part not mentioned in the story? "Quite a lot of these trees have been logged since the discovery of these forests. To keep the few remaining stands safe for the future, most of the groves are now contained within the National Parks of the US and or the State Parks of California. Of course they cannot be be cut down there but also outside of the parks, logging of giant sequoia is prohibited by law." https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/trees/giantsequoia/california/ BEAUTIFUL!
He has admitted to planting them with ill intent in mind. Therefore the cost of damages are his. The revenge was great. Bragging in a letter is evidence.
brain over brawn works best again....although he probably should have kept quiet about it and watched from afar.
May Clyde's legacy continue on. Good for you Mr Arborist man, what right do we have to pull down such magnificent trees - us humans need to learn our place in the world...
LOL....r/trees ehh... hope this isnt reddit's sub group because that would be funny.
Never thought about using a tree for revenge....I'm more of a Racoon P**s sorta person myself. A squirt here, a squirt there....and you'll be smelling Racoon Whiz for a long long time. I'm not a fan of those who hide behind their rules and regulations to screw with me. I don't bother anyone...and won't be bothered by anyone either.
And, Sequoias are a protected species. The $1,500 removal cost includes a whopping big fine.
Groot could not be killed either! I say this is just revenge for killing Clyde!
Groot could not be killed either. I say this is just revenge for the death of Clyde!!
I guess you could say that he planted roots of treeson for years to come.
Unfortunately the city counsel will not be footing the bill. The tax payers of the area will and they had nothing to do with this. Sorry about Clyde I hate cutting down trees as well. But you didn't get revenge on the counsel you screwed your neighbors and friends.
Nice story but if he really wanted revenge he would have started a highly invasive type of bamboo or kuzu. Something that grows very fast and is hell to get rid of.
Unlikely the trees listed would live with no care to get big enough to matter. If he wanted revenge he should have started kuzu and the invasive type of bamboo.
That was one of the best "revenges" I have ever witnessed! Bravo to you sir! Bravo!!
If your tree impedes traffic, then it's up to your city to correct it. The up-ended street and/or sidewalk is a tort waiting to happen if someone is injured because of it. Therefore you would be liable for any and all injuries. I hate that you lost your friend, truly I am. I had a mighty oak tree when I was a child. I loved it. I sat by it every single day of my life. But I lived in a company town and no one owned anything, not even our homes. When the Company rousted us out, they tore down all our houses and all our trees, including my beloved oak. I don't think I'll ever get over it. I know how you feel.
That's nut!!! Leave that tree alone! Remove that tree is like killed a child. That's murder! !
Are those trees protected in some areas because that would be "the bark on the tree!" Who's to say the dude won't have them removed as well. It is brilliant, but I think it would have been better to keep it quiet
Tree roots that up end pavement or sidewalks are torts waiting to happen if someone is injured by them. If they are on city property, then it is the city's responsibility to protect citizens. I hate that you lost your tree, truly. Plant your new pepper tree farther away from the road. xxxoooo
But they'll undoubtedly cut those trees down, too. Other than misery for the people targeted, will there be a net gain in giant sequoias? How do we get more big trees?
not much revenge cause he going have to pay for the mayor uproot the pepper tree when small
Would have been even better if it was illegal to remove a giant sequoia!!!
This is not going to work, unless he tends to those trees every day for the next hundred years. That's how long it will take to grow a giant sequoia to maturity, assuming perfect irrigation, fertilization, keeping people away (just walking too close can damage the roots). If you want to exact botanical revenge on someone, use bamboo.
I thought California Redwoods and Giant Sequoias were also protected by law? If so, the city better get used to having them around.... ;)
That would of been awesome. Teach him as lesson.
Load More Replies... Right....and in the litigious USA the council won't sue this dude ?
The rules my city has are draconian about doing anything in the "green space" and are nearly universally ignored. Based on the rules, there are either many thousands of permits with a detailed plan of work and materials or many thousands of violators every year.
Yea, except by the time the problem is noticed and needs to be paid for the mayor you hate will be long out of office and the people you will stick with the bill are your neighbors. These people suffer under the same city code enforcement nanny state you do so you're just being a jerk.
Maybe they'll see fit to do something about the s****y laws the people they elected have created then. ;)
Load More Replies... Finally taxpayers will have to dish out the money if they are to be removed.
Notice how he says clyde's roots began to penetrate the "pavement outside my house" You mean the SIDEWALK? The sidewalk that is city property where people walking or running could easily trip over these roots pushing up the pavement. You need to grow the f**k up! And as for planting all those sequioas, well you've just ensured their death as well haven't you.
I love trees too. I love the idea of getting revenge but I'm afraid the same thing that happened to Clyde is going to happen to the new trees. I enjoyed the story but towards the end all I kept thinking was "oh God those a******s are going to cut them down!!" I'm crossing my fingers that that won't happen and the mayor gets to meet Karma..cause she's a real b**ch
Protected trees are protected no matter where they are, you can't even trim them on your property without the proper permits and permission.
Load More Replies... I don't know how much damage the roots were causing and no idea if there could be anything else done without having to kill the tree. I do hate when they remove trees for no good reason. Where I used to live, they removed all the grown trees near a sports-parc (not sequoias just regular trees :P ) because they wanted to put a path there... Then they planted new saplings next to the new path... (maybe not even 1 meter from where the other trees were? Pointless really) And I do understand this man's want for revenge. But you know you still won't hurt city council right? It's not them that will be paying the bill. It's the taxpayers...
city hall wins anyway, that mayor won't pay for it. and what if he moves?
b e s t r e v e n g e e v a a a a h h h h PS: Clyde, your death was given justice by your awesome father.
Not practical, not funny, not true. As if there's not enough false information to deal with.
All b******t ... this is fiction. boredpanda is becoming spammier by the day.
If you want a good road system, do not plant trees within root distance of the pavement. It will stuff them up. They will crack and heave.
I think the point of this revenge plot is that it's illegal in California to cut down a sequoia or a redwood...
I love how some people are suggesting non native invasive species such as Kudzu and Japanese maple should've been used. These are choking out the indigenous species all over the US!
I love how some people are suggesting invasive species instead like Japanese maple and Kudzu. These non native plants are choking out the native ones. The guy is an arborist, he chose a tree indigenous to his area, that will live in harmony with its habitat, not overtake it.
Did he plant crape myrtles? they are my favorite i have a red one named Ivan and i LOVE him
I am still stuck on how a "professional arborist" would make the newbie mistake of planting a tree so close to a sidewalk.
I can get behind him planting native trees, but pepper trees don't deserve to be avenged. They're an invasive species brought in from Peru. (Yes, even the California pepper is NOT a Californian native.) So therefore planting one is doing harm to the environment.
So for his love of trees, he plants giant trees that will, if they even grow, be cut down in their prime because they pose a nuisance. Also, if he's an arborist, he'd know that Sequoias and redwoods don't grow very well in SoCal. Stupid piece.
correct me if im wrong, but he planted so many other trees and he is okay that they will remove them as long as they must paid for this 1,500 for each? i hope i didnt understand this correctly because these trees are living beings as Clyde
I actualy cried, in my house we have 2 100+ years old trees, and i love them deeply, when we have to cut some dameged branches i get so sad, my trees are part of my family, if someone were to touch them i'd kill the bastard
For those that think this story is true, I present the following, per the story. Tree planting occurred around 3 years ago (Aspel not in office now). Sequoias grow approx 2" in diameter. They will grow around 4' tall a year. This means there should be a ton of these trees that are easy to spot out: 12 feet tall, 6" diameter trunk. Their optimal growing local is in the mountainous regions. Where are pictures of these? Further, as a arborist he should know that these trees require A LOT of water due to rapid growth. So for all you applauding him, know that droughts have been a big issue in California. This environmental win is most certainly not one. Let's move on to Clyde: a tree famous for invasive roots- the kind famous for destroying not only sidewalks but water/sewer pipes as well. This non-native tree (despite it being called a California pepper tree) crowds out native flora. In addition, the seeds? Can be very toxic. So...b******t story or raging a*****e?
Trees help prevent droughts and mudslides. The coastal temperate rainforests are evolved to survive feast and famine, fire and flood. Redwoods have a lot of tannen in their bark and their root ststems are wide and deep and far reaching . If you want to slow climate change, prevent droughts that last decades and mudslides due to occasional torrential rainfall as well as a complete loss of earth holding vegetation during fire season, plant the species that revolved there and damn the sidewalks!
Load More Replies... Guess he is just avenging the fine rather than the tree. He just wants it to cost them the way it cost him. The council will obviously uproot the trees as soon as they get to know to avoid future damage. The trees are going to die anyway. What purpose is the revenge serving? Why break the law and expect nobody to take any action? He himself was responsible for the death of his beloved tree if at all he did love it. The story sounds so fake.
What law did he break? Did you know that sequoias are a protected species? They can't just cut them down. If the story is real, he's won. He didn't break any laws, and they can't do anything about the trees. :D
Load More Replies... This guy is an a$$hole. I'm sorry about his tree. As in singular...ONE TREE, but it does not entitle him to change the landscape of the city
What a self-centred jerk. The council had, by his own admission, a reason for wanting his tree removed - if he was such a 'tree expert', he should have known the likely consequences when he nurtured the young tree. Now the council is likely to have to pay for the removal of some of his petty revenge trees - to the detriment of other initiatives that it could fund for the community's safety and longevity. Not to mention the umnecessary destruction of trees that could otherwise be planted in appropriate locations where they could have thrived for many years. All because this one jerk thinks 'avenging' his little issue is top priority!
I'm with you. Where exactly is his revenge? Those trees he planted will most likely be removed while they are still small. What a waste.
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