What Is a Root Flare and Why Does It Matter for Tree Health?

Walk down almost any residential street and you will find a tree whose trunk drops straight into the ground like a fence post, often inside a tall ring of fresh mulch. The yard looks well kept, so the tree rarely draws attention. Hidden under that soil or mulch is the root flare, and where it sits has a lot to do with how well the tree grows over the next ten or twenty years.