10 Tree Growth Regulator Benefits for Commercial Properties

Everybody loves a huge, majestic old tree.

But on commercial properties, smaller trees are sometimes the better choice — especially in tight spaces like parking lot islands or near walkways and buildings.

Do you have trees that:

• Are struggling in parking lot islands?
• Are growing too close to buildings or signage?
• Look leggy, pale, or stressed?

A tree growth regulator may be the solution.

We spoke with Mark Lucas, national account manager at Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements, to break down exactly how these products — specifically Cambistat, used by Level Green Landscaping — can benefit your commercial landscape.

What Is Cambistat?

Here at Level Green Landscaping, we use the growth regulator Cambistat from Rainbow Treecare to slow down the growth of certain trees, which extends their life and keeps them healthy.

Cambistat slows the growth of trees by reducing the tree’s hormone that causes cell elongation and increasing a protective hormone.

It’s applied every three years, mixed with water and applied to the soil at the base of the trunk as a soil drench.

“It doesn’t do any harm to the tree,” Lucas says. "It changes the hormones in the plant, encouraging other benefits.”

Actually, quite a few benefits.

Why Use a Tree Growth Regulator?

Here are 10 key benefits of Cambistat for commercial properties:

1. Control Trees That Are Too Close to Buildings

Trees like oaks are often planted too close to structures.

“When an oak is supposed to get 60 to 75 feet tall and it’s planted 15 feet from a building, that will impact the building sooner than you’d like,” Lucas says.

Slowing growth helps keep trees within safe boundaries, reducing long-term property risks.

2. Prevent Leggy, Weak-Looking Trees

Fast-growing trees often develop gaps between leaf nodes, making them look sparse and stretched. Growth regulators help maintain a more compact, attractive shape.

3. Extend Tree Lifespan in Tough Environments

“Left alone in a residential lawn or on a farm, an oak tree might live 80+ years,” Lucas says. But planted in a hot, high-traffic parking lot island, “you might get 15 to 20 years from it,” he says.

“The soil there is compacted, so it doesn’t have great water holding capacity,” he says. “Trees suffer a lot quicker in this environment.”

A tree growth regulator extends the life of these trees by as much as 30 to 50 percent.

4. Improve Water Retention

Cambistat encourages fibrous root growth, which improves a tree’s ability to:

• Absorb more water
• Tolerate drought
• Resist top-down dieback caused by weak roots
  
  

5. Reduce Symptoms of Tree Disease

Cambistat isn’t a fungicide, but studies have shown that trees treated with growth regulators show fewer symptoms of disease — likely because of improved root health and internal stress resistance.

6. Increase Drought Tolerance

Plants treated with growth regulators are more resistant to drought. More leaf hairs form, protecting leaves from drying wind.

A thicker waxy layer on leaves holds in moisture.

A stronger fibrous root system allows plant to better absorb water from the soil.

When a tree grows more slowly, it needs less water.

7. Boost Tree Appearance and Vigor

With less energy spent on vertical growth, trees can:

• Produce darker, richer foliage
• Generate more vibrant flowers
• Develop a stronger, compact form

“Flowering trees produce more blooms,” Lucas says.

8. Protect Trees From Salt Damage

Snow and ice management can take a toll on trees. Research shows Cambistat-treated trees are better able to withstand salt damage, common near sidewalks, parking lots, and roads.

9. Improve Property's Safety

One of the many benefits of tree growth regulators is increased safety on your commercial property.

How?

Fewer Sidewalk Trip Hazards

As trees grow, they often lift sidewalks and walkways, creating a tripping risk and liability for the property.

Growth regulators slow the growth of large woody roots, which means less danger of tripping.

Cameras and Lights Stay Unobstructed

Trees often grow in front of security cameras and lighting, jeopardizing safety. When trees grow more slowly, sight lines stay clear. Same thing for your property’s signage. Customers don’t have to struggle to find or read your signs.

10. Tree Growth Regulators Save You Money

When landscaping crews have to trim your trees less often, you save money.

It costs less to use a growth regulator to keep a tree compact than it does to replace a tree that has outgrown its space or been hit by disease.

“Replacing a tree that’s 4 to 6 inches in diameter will cost $1,000 or more,” Lucas says.

Trees are treated with Cambistat only once every three years, he says, making it a cost-effective option.

Trust Your Trees’ Health To Level Green

Here at Level Green, we love trees. We’re happy to use science to make trees on your property healthier and live longer.

Want to hear more about the benefits of tree growth regulators for your property’s trees?

If you’re not already a Level Green Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers. Our focus is on commercial properties like offices, mixed-use sites, HOAs, municipalities and institutions in Maryland, Washington DC and parts of Virginia.

Contact us at 202-544-0968. You can also request a free consultation online to meet with us one-on-one.

We’d love to hear from you.