The photos below show tree rings or borders that meet or exceed the ACC standards.  Trees can have no border (or border with metal edging), or have a tree ring that is made of stone that is either mortared or dry stacked.

 

 

 

The photos below show tree rings or borders that DO NOT meet the standards.  Regardless of whether stones are dry stacked or mortared, they need to be placed in a neat and orderly pattern.  If tree roots grow and move or crack mortared stones, they need to be leveled, restacked or repaired.

 

 

FAQ’s:

Question:  Do I need to have a ring around the tree in my front yard?
Answer:  No.

Question:  If I use milsap stone, bricks, garden wall blocks other materials for the tree ring, does it need to be mortared in place or can it be dry stacked?
Answer:  The tree ring does not need to be mortared and may be simply dry stacked, but it must be installed and maintained in an orderly and aesthetically pleasing form.  Stones or blocks that are uneven or displaced by growing tree roots need to be corrected or the tree ring removed.  Joints in mortared stones that are cracked and dislocated by growing roots are not acceptable.