Specialized companies in the United States are increasingly catering to wealthy clients by uprooting, transporting, and replanting fully mature trees as part of luxury landscaping projects. This trend reflects a growing demand among high-net-worth individuals for instant, large-scale natural features that give their properties an appearance of longstanding grandeur.
Tom Cox, co-founder of Environmental Design in Texas, described the daily task of relocating massive trees—some weighing up to 100 tons and reaching heights of 50 feet or more—as routine. Such operations involve advanced machinery, including hydraulic tree spades and custom transport methods, often requiring special permits and coordination with local authorities to move the oversized specimens. The goal is to provide clients with instantly mature trees rather than waiting decades for saplings to grow.
This business, while not new, has expanded rapidly alongside rising wealth concentrated among billionaires and hedge fund managers. Landscape architects report that clients increasingly seek grand trees that exude a timeless quality, installing them on estates in affluent areas such as the Hamptons, Silicon Valley, South Florida, and Newport, Rhode Island.
In Palm Beach, Florida, for example, banyan trees have been sold for around $250,000 each, while mature Canary Island date palms commonly cost about $50,000 apiece. Even more expensive are African baobab trees, with individual specimens fetching as much as $500,000. Matched pairs of trees, particularly palms, are especially desired for aesthetic symmetry.
Newport’s Bellevue Avenue has become a competitive stage for such arboreal displays. Larry Ellison, Oracle’s CEO, has enhanced his estate with dozens of large trees and ancient boulders, while Stephen A. Schwarzman, Blackstone’s CEO, has invested heavily in privacy screening composed of more than 100 American holly trees, each costing in excess of $10,000. Schwarzman’s landscaping highlights the willingness of wealthy property owners to spend millions to achieve immediate environmental maturity.
Industry professionals note that this trend echoes historic landscaping ambitions from the 18th century and the Gilded Age, when wealthy estate owners transplanted grand trees to create instant park-like settings. Modern technology now allows for the movement of trees far larger than previously possible, with equipment evolving from manual spades and horse-drawn wagons to diesel-powered cranes and tractor-trailers.
The scale of investment in mature trees is indicative of broader economic patterns among the wealthy, according to experts. Perry Guillot of Perry Guillot Landscape Architecture observes that clients prefer “why wait for a tree to grow if you can get something larger today?” Similarly, Chet Halka of Halka Nurseries supplies large specimens from his extensive wholesale nursery, accommodating clients who prefer immediate landscape impact. His facility even includes a helipad to facilitate quick visits from affluent buyers.
Some clients emphasize their desire for fully grown trees due to their own stage of life, as illustrated by Broadway producer Daryl Roth, who noted the practicality of buying mature trees rather than waiting decades for saplings. Meanwhile, landscaping executives point to big-tree acquisitions as a subtle indicator of economic confidence within luxury real estate development.
Moving large trees has become a symbol of wealth akin to other high-end status markers, such as yachts and art collections. The practice—seen in the installation of heavy magnolias on urban rooftops and ancient oaks on sprawling estates—continues to grow, fueled by technological advances and the escalating budgets of America’s richest individuals. Despite its extravagance, the trade in mature trees underscores a broader desire for immediate prestige and legacy in landscape design.