Tony's inadvertently demonstrating why there are regulations for public tree plantings, why guerilla gardening is illegal in many places. While he knows a LOT about botany, he's a little casual about the possible property damage/damage to lives, IMO.
By contrast, many governments now in the US are too cautious about it, taking advice from lawyers who don't know horticulture, which results in policy that is actually bad for trees and good for urban heat island worsening.
I advocate a middle way
As he walks by, pointing at what he or others planted, many of them trees in tight spaces, he talks about how things really need to be trimmed or are about to fall.
And that's the deal: you can't plant for what you *wish* would be the conditions. You have to plant for the conditions you have and what those conditions are likely to change into under climate change, current politics, etc.
So while he probably told himself, "I'll be maintaining these" when he planted them, he ended up moving away
I do think people should have input into what gets planted in public spaces in their neighborhood and that many gov'ts handle this badly now due to decades of destruction of the public sphere.
But there are also dangers to people planting whatever they want whenever they want.
It takes being informed not just about plant species, but accessibility, sub/urban infrastructure, government, etc. Folks need to inform one another so we get the best possible responsible compromise for public plants.
