What’s the Difference Between an Arborist and a Landscaper?

Many homeowners assume that landscapers can handle tree care—after all, they work with plants, right?

The difference between a well-maintained landscape and a disaster often comes down to who is making decisions about your trees. In Toronto, trees can make a big impact on safety, property value and home maintenance budgets so it is important to consider who is caring for them.

Landscapers:

  • focus on aesthetics and short-term results
  • have little to no training in tree health or tree science
  • are a jack of all trades in backyard care

Qualified Arborists:

  • specialize in long-term tree health, safety, and structure
  • are extensively trained in tree science and certified to perform tree care
  • are a master of one trade only – maintaining urban trees  

A landscaper might install artificial turf without considering how soil compaction and water loss will suffocate tree roots. They might prune a tree for “aesthetics”—leaving stub cuts that invite disease and decay. These mistakes aren’t just cosmetic; they can permanently weaken a tree or shorten its lifespan.

If you want healthy, thriving trees, you need the right expertise and experience.

What Does a Landscaper Do?

Landscapers specialize in softscaping (Turf, grass and plants) and hardscaping (patio stones, decks, driveways), focusing on the design and maintenance of outdoor spaces.

Landscapers enhance the look of a yard but are not trained to assess tree health, structure, or safety.

Their expertise includes:

  • Lawn care & garden design – Selecting flowers, shrubs, and layouts to enhance curb appeal.
  • Irrigation & mulching – Managing water flow and soil conditions for plant health.
  • Hardscaping – Installing patios, walkways, retaining walls, water features, and artificial turf.
  • Seasonal maintenance – Lawn fertilization, grass cutting, seasonal leaf clean-up and garden plants.

 

Landscaped garden what do landscapers do garden with rocks and plants

What Does an Arborist Do?

Arborists specialize in tree care, health, and risk management. Their work extends beyond aesthetics—they diagnose, maintain, and protect trees to ensure long-term stability and safety. 

Core Arborist Services:

If a job involves tree health, structure, or risk management, it requires a reliable arborist—not a landscaper.

The Hidden Damage Landscapers Can Cause to Trees

Many tree problems aren’t immediate—they can take years to appear after an initial mistake. Landscapers with good intentions often unknowingly put trees at risk.

Case Study: Root Cutting by Landscapers

Cutting Tree Roots for Hardscaping Can Lead to Sudden Tree Failure

We received a call from a concerned Toronto homeowner this month, asking for a quote for emergency tree removal. A large 60-ft Norway spruce collapsed onto a Toronto homeowner’s roof suddenly, even though there was no storm.

When we got there a short time later, it was clear the cause: landscapers installed a raised cement box around the tree and cut its roots. With nothing to hold onto, the tree fell over in light wind, hitting the house.

Even if the roots hadn’t been cut, the compacted soil, PH change, and reduced water from the pavement would have killed it in a few years and put it at high risk of falling over. Instead of slow decline, the tree failed catastrophically—falling within months of the hardscaping project.

📌 Lesson for Homeowners: Landscaping changes can destabilize trees. Always consult a qualified arborist before major property alterations.

Case Study: Improper Tree Pruning Leads to Long-Term Decay

A Toronto Church with Damaged Norway Maples 

A local church in North York has a landscaper who handles leaf cleanup and basic yard work. Over the years, they also offered to “take off a few limbs” near the parking lot—but without proper training. We were called in when the trees started to die.

      • Over time, their improper cuts led to ugly stubs, decay, and weakened branches.
      • Unfortunately, the trees were too far gone and needed to be taken out for safety
      • The cost of removing trees is far more costly than properly maintaining them 

📌 Related: Why Norway Maples Often Become Problem Trees in Toronto

Caste Study: Artificial Turf Can Slowly Kill Mature Trees

High-Profile Toronto Estate Lost Its Trees to Astroturf

A well-known Toronto businessman, whose name is on a business school at a major Ontario university, owns a lakefront estate lined with mature sugar maples, silver maples, beech trees, and lindens.

      • To make it easier for his children to play, he had extensive artificial turf installed around the garage, pool house, and outdoor tennis area.
      • A few years later, all of the surrounding maples, beech, and lindens began suffering heavy dieback.
      • The problem? Artificial turf compacted the soil, blocked water absorption, and altered soil chemistry.
      • By the time the issue was identified, many trees were already lost, and more are slated for removal.

📌 Lesson for Homeowners: Landscaping decisions affect tree roots. Consult an arborist before installing artificial turf, patios, or other hardscapes.

Who to Call: Arborist or Landscaper?

Task Landscaper Arborist
Lawn care & mowing Yes No
Garden design & planting Yes No
Pruning Tree Branches No Yes
Hedge Care and Trimming No Yes
Soil & root health for trees No Yes
Tree pest & disease No Yes
Tree Permits  No Yes
Tree preservation during landscaping No Yes
Emergency tree services No Yes

Final Thoughts: Protecting Your Landscape for the Long Term

Landscapers play an important role in garden and lawn aesthetics, but tree health is far more complex than trimming branches and planting greenery.

If it involves trees—health, risk, planting, removals, or assessments—only an arborist has the expertise to do it properly.

📌 Before making changes that could impact your trees, talk to a Certified Arborist in Toronto