Plant Amnesty

PlantAmnesty, established in 1987, is a 1000-member mock-militant nonprofit organization whose mission is to end the senseless torture and mutilation of trees and shrubs caused by mal-pruning. We have a sense of humor and a mission. We specialize in using the media to alert the public to crimes against nature being committed in their own back yards, specifically tree topping and the nuisance shearing of shrubs. Once we have the public's attention, we supply all the solutions: a referral service of skilled gardeners and arborists, classes and workshops, instructional YouTube videos and how-to literature on selective pruning in English and Spanish.

PlantAmnesty's goal is to end bad pruning, which is ubiquitous. The three main forms of bad pruning are tree topping, shrub and tree shearing and over-thinning. Overplanting is another form of plant abuse that inevitably affects the plants health. The definition of good pruning is pruning that maintains or improves the long-term health and beauty of the plant. We have collected a series of articles on each of these topics. Please click on the one that interests you.

PlantAmnesty's second goal is to provide solutions to the problems of landscape mismanagement. So, as you can imagine, we have many ways to help you do right by your yard or garden. We have pruning literature, pruning classes and workshops (some in Spanish), a book, over a hundred YouTube how-to videos, DVDs, a referral service of qualified gardeners and certified arborists, a pruning hotline, free pruning for needy and deserving trees and gardens and a Seattle Heritage Tree Program. In addition, we can also provide speakers on a variety of pruning topics.