How To Secretly Poison a Tree? 5 Signs if You Think Your Trees are Poisoned 

Considering how important they are, why would someone need to know how to secretly poison a tree?

And what would be the signs that someone has somehow, for reasons unknown, done something that has made your prized possession appear to be wilting, to not be at its best, or about to uproot itself and keel over?

There are a few signs to recognize that your tree has indeed been poisoned and not just under the weather or infested with a range of pests, for that matter.

So, if you’re asking yourself if someone learned how to secretly poison a tree and has been doing so to yours, this complete guide shows you what to look for and the processes that can be used.

5 Signs: If You Think Your Trees Are Poisoned To Look For

Before you storm around to your nasty neighbor’s house and accuse them of tree murder, the first step is to learn to identify the symptoms that a poisoned tree will exhibit.

In fact, knowing how to poison a tree yourself just might help you to figure out whether it was harmed on purpose, or if an accident of nature has taken its toll.

There will be indicators of how to secretly poison a tree that will be clearly visible to the trained eye. You just have to be able to recognize them.

1. A Strange Fall of Leaves

One of the easiest signs that your tree may have been poisoned is if its leaves begin to fall off out of season for no apparent reason. They may have become yellow or brown first, curl up at the edges, or even wither up.

If it is receiving enough water and nutrients and there are no signs of infestation, then there is a high probability that it has been poisoned.

2. Damage and Discoloration

The leaves, bark, and branches may all suffer discoloration and should be carefully checked for holes, peeling, and any foreign objects embedded in the trunk.

Rents in the bark from heavy machinery such as lawnmowers can create a gateway for diseases to enter or points where they can be injected.

You should always inspect all tears and wounds carefully for marks that should not be there.

3. Signs of Stress

Just as with humans and animals, trees can display signs of stress as they, too, are living organisms.¹ This can be reflected by unusual swelling or growths on the branches or trunk, as well as evidence of cracking or splitting in the bark.

Any signs of deformities or irregularities in any of the branches are also possible indicators of poisoning and have to be taken note of.

4. Collateral Damage

A sure sign that something untoward has happened to affect the health and well-being of your tree is the condition of the nearby flora.

If your tree has been poisoned by a liquid substance, for example, it may have splashed onto other plants and the evidence will be more apparent as they show signs of deterioration.

5. The Roots

Nutrients and water enter into the core of the tree through its roots, but so can poisonous substances. If strong enough, within days the tree can display stress signs on one side of its trunk, in the crooks of the branches where they connect to the trunk, or in the leaves that can fall off en masse very quickly.

It can, however, be difficult to verify that the tree has been purposely poisoned, but if you think that is the case you need to act promptly to stop the spread of the poison by contacting an arborist.

An experienced arborist will be able to analyze your tree’s health from top to bottom no matter which species it is and what the season may be.

Why and How To Secretly Poison a Tree: Herbicides

There may come a time when a tree on your property is becoming more of a problem than it’s worth.

Undoubtedly, trees can improve the look of your property and may even increase its valuation in the housing market as well as enhance its curb appeal, but they can also become a nuisance if they expand too rapidly and dominate the space they are in.

(Image: Green, Brandon¹¹)

Trees that at one time were a centerpiece might end up with unruly roots breaking through walkways, tipping fences over, or posing a foundational risk to your house or other structures.

Invasive plants are often a cause for concern, especially if a particular species has found itself onto your property from a local public park and decided to set down roots for the foreseeable future.⁹

Initially, this invader may appear to be an interesting addition to your landscape, compact, fruitful, and fragrant. That is until it starts to cast long shadows over your sun-loving flowers and challenge them for the limited supplies of nutrients in the soil.

In situations where the delicate balance in an ecosystem is suddenly threatened, it is sometimes recommended that you clear your property of any woody invasive species.

Knowing how to secretly poison a tree or invasive shrubs or plants will help enormously in keeping the costs down and give you control over its removal and your environment.

The trick to how to kill a tree without cutting it down is to do it gradually so that the process used doesn’t cause the tree to collapse in a single day.

It doesn’t matter if your goal is to eliminate one tree or several, here are a few tips to get you started.

Herbicide Tree Killers

The use of herbicides is an effective, easy, and versatile method as they are generally mixed with water or oil and simply sprayed liberally on the leaves and branches or roots.

When spraying them, protective gear should always be worn as some herbicides contain large amounts of acid in their ingredients and this can be harmful if it comes into contact with your skin or gets into your eyes.

Agricultural supply shops will have a broad range of these products to choose from that will stunt the plant’s growth, and block the production of proteins found exclusively in those plants. You will have to apply the product frequently until the tree is dead.

How to secretly poison a tree or shrub may require a specific formulation so always seek professional advice to avoid accidentally exposing valuable trees or shrubs in the vicinity and end up accidentally destroying them.

An Effective Tree Killer Chemical

How to kill a tree without cutting it down couldn’t be easier when a chemical is applied.

Products that contain the chemical glyphosate are some of the most popular with more than 750 varieties available in the marketplace.³ Some of the brands act as crop desiccants while others act as crop surfactants that help the herbicides to penetrate the surface of the leaves effortlessly to cause maximum damage to the core of the tree.

It has widely been used by farmers for decades to control weeds and wild grasses and when applied regularly to unwanted trees or woody shrubs, it will slowly kill them off.

What Chemical Kills Trees Quickly? (Chemical That Kills Tree Roots)

There are two specific types of chemicals that can cause a tree to degrade and die within weeks of the initial application.

Triclopyr amine and triclopyr ester are two such formulations that work best when injected into open cuts into the tree. This will enable them to penetrate the vascular tissue quickly and effectively leading to the plant’s death.

Several deep cuts do need to be made around the base with multiple injections applied to accelerate the absorption of the poisonous solution into the bark, leaves, and roots. Just like a virus, it will creep throughout the entire plant and stop cell division before it can occur so the tree will cease growing.

This will result in preventing the tree from developing and lead to its death.

What Kills Trees: How To Kill a Tree With Epsom Salts

Accelerating the decomposition of trees by nudging the process along faster than how nature intended can reduce the natural decay period by months if not even years.⁸

Epsom salts are one of those substances that can be sprinkled or added to water whenever you need to know how to kill a tree stump or how to secretly poison a tree.

Because it hastens the breakdown of organic matter, Epsom salt is a common product introduced for getting rid of tree roots, stumps, and trees. It is effective because the sodium ions in the salt block the plant’s ability to absorb potassium and magnesium by way of the roots, and without these nutrients, chlorophyll cannot be produced.

A tree may need a lot of salt to die if it is a large one, and how to rot a tree stump fast using salt will also depend on how deeply the salt penetrates and the amount of time it is given to do so.

(Image: Glenn, Kyle¹²)

The process can be time-consuming if not performed correctly, but very rewarding when the proper procedure is followed.

To guarantee its efficacy, drill multiple small holes in the soil near the roots, into the roots, into the trunk, or into the stump if that is what you are trying to kill.

Mix a solution with a ratio of two cups of water and one cup of Epsom salt for a small tree, or double, or triple that amount for larger plants, and then pour into every hole until it overflows.

Apply this solution again in a few days for smaller trees, but bigger trees may take up to two weeks to show that they are being affected, so keep on pouring.

By the way, you can keep the salt from being washed away by rain by covering the stump with a sheet or a trash bag and securing it in place. This will hasten the breakdown process enormously and save you loads of time waiting for the stump to decompose.

If you remove the covering from your stump every two to three weeks, sprinkle it with Epsom salt, and pour the solution into the holes, your stump will rot within a year and will be ready to be dug up and discarded.

It is effective because it contains magnesium sulfate, which is good for plant production in the correct doses but may become toxic if too much of it is used carelessly.²

The combination of these compounds will cause your tree stump to basically overdose, negating the need for a chemical product that, although effective, may render the region unsuitable for plant growth after the tree or stump has been removed.

On the other hand, using Epsom salt is an organic option that will kill the tree or the tree stump while still leaving the soil in great condition for the next plant species to flourish in the same spot.

If you don’t mind waiting a few months for your tree stump to dry out, this may be your best alternative since it’s an easy, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly way to get rid of tree stumps and eliminate trees.

Will Salt Kill Trees?

Many times when municipalities are spreading road salt to de-ice surfaces, numerous types of plants, trees, and shrubs are injured or destroyed in the process.

In particular, trees in locations that are downhill, downwind, or with poor soil drainage, and planted near heavily salted roads tend to suffer the most.

If a lot of salt gets into the ground, as it often does, it will affect the soil quality to such an extent that the tree takes in too much salt via its roots and its leaves start to burn.⁷

Epsom salts are regularly used by gardeners but normal salt, sodium chloride or calcium chloride, will work just as well in its place. They, too, will raise the stress levels of your plants, first attacking the leaves and then lethally compromising the health of the tree.

Any landscaper worth his salt, so to speak, will recommend regular inspections to unearth any signs of leaves with brown tips or ones that appear scorched.

However, because there are many potential explanations for these symptoms, it is important to thoroughly inspect the plant and its environment if you suspect something untoward.

How Does a Copper Nail Kill a Tree?

Several techniques can be used to encourage a tree to die that don’t involve the use of force.

Does a copper nail kill a tree? Copper nails are readily available and are a tried and tested method how to secretly poison a tree without anyone being any the wiser.

A tree may be killed by a single copper nail in as little as a few months without a casual observer being aware of its presence, but in some instances, the tree may survive the attempt at copper poisoning for many years if enough nails are not hammered home.

(Image: Akyurt, Engin¹³)

Still, this method is extremely popular to bring down trees due to its low cost, ease of availability, and ease of use.

The tree may eventually die from copper toxicity and to make this form of tree poisoning more effective it is advisable to use longer nails. You should leave a third of the nails still sticking out from the bark to allow for oxidation to start and the copper sulfate that forms on the surface to run down the nail over the next few months and seep deeper into the tree.

The best place to place a ring of nails is going to be closer to the base where they will be less noticeable and spaced about an inch apart. With this method of spacing, there will be more nails applied to a larger tree compared to a smaller one to increase the impact of the poison, and being so low to the ground the nails can then be covered up with clumps of soil to disguise them.

So how does it work?

Driving a copper nail into the trunk of a tree disrupts the vascular system which is in charge of transporting water and nutrients to the tree’s leaves and branches to keep it alive.

Although it may take years for a tree to finally succumb to a copper nail, with enough of them hammered into its trunk, the tree will suffer cell damage and disruption in its ability to do vital tasks like photosynthesis.⁶

This toxic substance will spread farther throughout all parts of the tree from the tree’s own nutrient transportation system, the xylem, eventually causing damage to the leaves that, now unable to produce chlorophyll, will turn yellow and white, and start to die off.

Damage to the roots is almost instantaneous as they are the tree’s main absorption points, and are very vulnerable to copper poisoning. Additionally, the nails leave open access wounds where diseases can enter which will contribute to speeding up the death of the tree if it becomes heavily infected.

In some cases, the tree quickly starts to wither and die from lack of water and nutrients as quickly as within a year.

Type of Tree Poisons: How To Secretly Poison a Tree

There are quite a few other ways how to secretly poison a tree that is no longer wanted that can fly under the radar and not appear suspicious.

There are chemical-based products available from your local store that will get the job done, but they may also harm the surrounding ecosystem if improperly applied or if they leak into the soil.

1. Girdling

The term “girdling” describes the action of cutting a strip of bark about 3 to 6 inches thick from the entire circumference of the trunk by using a handsaw or a hammer and chisel.

By employing this method you sever the connection between the tree’s roots, its branches, leaves, and its canopy, causing the tree to slowly starve to death without the outside use of chemicals.

If you see new bark sprouting, peel it back as often as necessary to keep the incision exposed, and in the next months, the tree will naturally die.

2. Pruning

Starving a tree is one of the most natural ways to kill a tree that you can employ. It is one of the most undetectable methods as all you have to do is continually prune back leafy branches so they do not have time to mature which will stress the tree to a degree and deprive it of the ability to absorb enough sunlight to live.

As the tree can’t obtain the water and sunshine it needs, it will eventually die without any outside interference, either manmade, organic, or chemical.

3. Over Fertilizing

Too much fertilizer can be fatal for a tree.

When large concentrations of a quick-release nitrogen fertilizer are piled around the base of your tree with mulch, the effect will be quick and noticeable in the way the tree adversely reacts, but not easily identifiable as the source of the tree’s decline.

(Image: ms uppy¹⁰)

Although extremely beneficial to plants, some trees cannot handle the high levels of salts that are produced by fertilizers that also have high levels of potassium and phosphorus that is supplied to the tree so quickly.⁵

The effects will become apparent when the leaves become yellow, wilt, and turn brown at the leaf tips, dropping off as the tree starts its gradual decline.

The symptoms are wilting leaves that may drop and a barely noticeable crust of fertilizer on the soil surface under the drip zone at the base of the tree but otherwise, there will be no noticeable signs a poison is being administered.

If at any point you suspect anyone of poisoning your trees, look for any evidence before accusations start flying. It can be hard to prove as the signs of poisoning can be very similar to insect infestations or infections from diseases.

You will need a keen eye to spot the difference.

But if you’re the one who intends to take the tree down, and you’re not in a hurry to do so, there are multiple ways how to secretly poison a tree with the minimum amount of effort but with the maximum amount of efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Secretly Poison a Tree