Eventually, yes. Redwood groups planted close together on residential lots compete for water and light as they mature: individual trees weaken, crowns thin on the shaded sides, limbs die and drop, and occasionally one tree must come out to save the group. Signs your cluster has reached that point: visibly thinner crowns on inner trees, significant deadwood, and browning that irrigation does not fix.

Because redwoods over 18 inches are protected in Palo Alto, thinning a cluster is a permit conversation backed by an arborist report – which is manageable when the case is documented properly. We handle the paperwork and the climbing, and where the grove is healthy, we will tell you to leave it alone.