The Drawbacks of Planting Large Trees: An Honest Look

What Are the Downsides of Planting a Large Tree?

A large, mature tree gives instant impact, immediate shade, privacy, and presence, and for the right situation, it’s worth the premium. That’s the appeal. But planting a large tree has real drawbacks compared to a smaller one, and understanding them helps you decide. Here’s the honest look.

The Cost Is Much Higher

A large tree costs far more than a sapling, $400 to $1,300 installed for a large container tree (10 to 20 feet) and $840 to $3,200 for a balled-and-burlapped or caliper specimen, versus $100 to $300 for a sapling, both for the tree and the equipment and labor to plant it. Transplanting an existing tree is a separate job again, $300 to $700 per tree, with a $400 to $500 equipment minimum whenever a skid steer or tree spade is set. You’re paying a significant premium for instant maturity. For the same species, a large tree can cost several times a small one. The cost is the most obvious drawback: instant size comes at a steep premium. You pay a lot for the head start. The premium is steep because you’re compressing years of growth into a purchase, a mature tree represents a decade or more of a nursery’s time, water, and care, plus the specialized digging and equipment to move it intact, so buying instant size means paying for all the growing you’re choosing not to wait through yourself, which is why the same species can cost several times more as a specimen than as a sapling. (For more on this, see Small Tree vs. Large Tree: Which Should You Plant?.) Before any digging begins, call 811 — the free national before-you-dig service — to have underground utilities located and marked.

Transplant Shock and Slower Establishment

Counterintuitively, large trees often establish more slowly and suffer more transplant shock than smaller ones. A big tree’s roots are disturbed more in transplanting, and it takes longer to re-establish a root system to support its large canopy. Smaller trees frequently catch up to (or surpass) larger ones planted at the same time, because they establish faster. The premium large tree may not stay ahead for long. Bigger doesn’t always mean a lasting head start. The mechanism behind this surprise is root loss, when a large tree is dug for transplanting, it leaves much of its established root system behind, so a big canopy is left drawing on a drastically reduced root base and must slow down to rebuild it, whereas a sapling arrives with most of its modest roots intact and can pour its energy straight into vigorous growth, which is how the small tree so often closes the gap. The Arbor Day Foundation details correct planting depth and technique for bare-root and containerized stock.

Higher Risk of Failure

Because of transplant shock and the challenge of establishing a large root system, large transplanted trees have a higher risk of struggling or dying than smaller ones. More is riding on a successful establishment, and the investment is bigger if it fails. A large tree is a bigger gamble, which is why survival warranties matter more for them. The higher failure risk is a real consideration for an expensive tree. The risk compounds unfavorably with cost, the very transplant shock that makes a large tree harder to establish also makes it the most expensive one to lose, so a failed large planting means both a dead tree and a sizeable sum gone, which is precisely why survival warranties matter far more on big specimens and why some buyers conclude the surer establishment of a smaller tree is the safer bet. (For more on this, see How Much Does Tree Planting Cost?.)

Equipment and Access Requirements

Planting a large tree requires equipment (a crane or tree spade) and access for it, which adds cost and isn’t always feasible. A tight or inaccessible site may not accommodate the equipment a large tree needs. The logistics of moving and setting a big tree are a real constraint. Not every site can easily take a large tree. Access and equipment needs limit where big trees can go. The logistics can be a hard constraint rather than just an added cost, because a tree spade or crane needs a clear, firm path to the planting spot, so a backyard reachable only through a narrow gate, a hillside, or a space hemmed in by structures may simply not accommodate a large tree at all, which is a practical reason the biggest specimens aren’t an option on every site regardless of budget. (For more on this, see How to Budget and Pay for Tree Planting.)

Intensive Aftercare

A large tree needs more intensive establishment care, more water, more attention, to survive its greater transplant stress. The aftercare commitment is bigger than for a small tree. Neglecting a large tree’s establishment care risks losing a significant investment. Be prepared for the greater care a large tree demands. Bigger trees need more attentive establishment. The aftercare demand scales with the transplant stress, a large tree with a reduced root system supporting a big canopy needs even more diligent, prolonged watering than a sapling to bridge the gap while it rebuilds roots, so the commitment stretches over a longer establishment period, and lapses in that watering are both more likely to be fatal and more costly when the tree they kill is an expensive one.

Is a Large Tree Still Worth It?

For the right situation, wanting immediate impact and willing to pay for and care for it, a large tree can absolutely be worth it. The drawbacks are about going in informed: it costs much more, may establish slower and suffer transplant shock, has a higher failure risk, needs equipment and access, and demands intensive aftercare. Often, a smaller tree is the better value and establishes better. But when instant maturity matters, a large tree, well-chosen and well-cared-for, delivers it. When you’re ready to weigh your options, connect with local pros below.