Key Points:
- An ISA-Certified Arborist is the best landscape professional to provide tree healthcare, maintenance, and structural risk assessments.
- Arborists, landscapers, and lawn care providers all serve distinct purposes, and knowing the differences among them can help homeowners hire the right professional.
- Arborists respond to tree emergencies but also provide pruning, pest control, seasonal maintenance visits, and a range of other services.
When hiring an outdoor professional for tree care, many people prioritize a good price and overlook credentials. But understanding the distinct roles and qualifications of an arborist, landscaper, and lawn care provider is key to avoiding more costly problems down the road.
For example, many Dane County homeowners have a lawn crew and maybe a landscaper, but these pros do not inspect trees or diagnose diseases. Just like you wouldn’t go to a dentist for an eye exam, you wouldn’t hire a landscaper or lawn service professional for tree removal or a risk assessment.
Only a certified arborist has the knowledge and credentials to provide tree healthcare and structural assessments. At Stephenson Tree Care, our ISA-Certified Arborists deliver exceptional tree care in Middleton, Fitchburg, Cottage Grove, Madison, and surrounding areas, providing tree removals, pruning, emergency response, and more.
Let’s review the key roles within the landscape industry and why an ISA-Certified Arborist is the best choice for your tree care needs.
Who’s Who in the Landscaping Industry?
There are three key roles within the industry—an arborist, a landscaper, and a lawn care provider—each serving a distinct purpose. While their roles sometimes overlap, it’s important to understand their areas of focus and limitations before bringing someone on to care for your yard.
Landscaper
Landscapers design, build, and maintain outdoor spaces, such as yards, gardens, and patio areas. More than gardeners, landscapers alter and refine the structural elements of a landscape while maintaining plants.
With a primary focus on aesthetics and upkeep, their responsibilities often include:
- Planting new shrubs, flowers, and trees
- Mowing and fertilizing lawns
- Trimming hedges and shrubs
- Cleaning up debris, such as fallen twigs and branches
There is no standardized criterion for landscaping, although many states require licenses for specialized landscape work. The Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension notes that any professional who applies pesticides must have a Pesticide Business Location License. Likewise, Wisconsin’s Department of Safety and Professional Services website provides licensing information for landscape architects, but this role differs from that of a landscaper; landscape architects must graduate from an accredited program and meet specific requirements.
While landscapers may be knowledgeable about tree and plant health, they are not professionally trained or certified to diagnose tree issues or conduct structural risk assessments.
Lawn Care Provider
Unlike landscapers who handle the aesthetics of your entire landscape, lawn care providers focus solely on turf health and appearance. More than just mowing, these professionals offer a range of lawn-specific services. They work to improve drainage and soil compaction in residential and urban neighborhoods.
Other services include:
- Putting down seed for new growth
- Fertilizing the soil to improve grass growth
- Removing weeds to keep the lawn neat
- Treating and preventing pests
According to the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, an annual business license is required for Wisconsin professionals who manufacture or distribute fertilizers, soil or plant additives, and commercial pesticide applications. Make sure a lawn care provider has this licensing before hiring them.
Also, when hiring a lawn care provider, it’s important to know that, given their specialization, they are not qualified to work on your property’s trees, shrubs, or other plants. Their soil assessments are limited in scope and do not account for how soil health connects to tree and plant vitality.
Arborist
Arborists are professionals in arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of trees, shrubs, and other perennial woody plants. ISA-Certified Arborists have earned certification from the International Society of Arboriculture, which is the industry’s most respected credential, and are required to recertify every 3 years through continuing education units.
Of the three roles, arborists offer the largest range of services related to your landscape’s health and appearance:
- Conducting tree risk assessments to ensure tree stability and property safety
- Safely removing undesired, hazardous, or dying trees
- Diagnosing tree problems and diseases
- Providing plant healthcare services such as fertilization and invasive plant management
- Pruning tree branches in hazardous positions
- Preventing pests and regional threats through proactive monitoring
Arborists have the equipment and experience necessary to provide professional tree care that accounts for your landscape’s entire ecosystem rather than focusing on turf or aesthetics alone.
Why This Distinction Matters
An arborist is the only expert trained to deliver long-term tree healthcare. This matters most when any safety concerns arise.
Imagine if one of your trees’ branches is hanging over your fence. While a landscaper might attempt to trim back the branch, an arborist has been trained in proper pruning techniques and will ensure the tree’s health and structure are considered, mitigating future threats from neighboring branches. There is a distinction between tree trimming and pruning: Trimming focuses on shape and aesthetics, while pruning aims to improve the tree’s health and structure by removing damaged or dangerous branches.
Another example is soil care. While lawn care providers can fertilize and share insights about the health of your soil, they may not be able to provide a complete picture the way an arborist can. Soil health provides the foundation for tree and plant health. Working with a specialist who can assess every component of your landscape—both individually and as part of the whole—enables a better understanding and more accurate treatment plans.
When to Call an Arborist
Most homeowners call a local arborist for emergencies, such as storm damage. However, arborists can also provide regular maintenance visits, preventive treatments, and more. Here’s when you’ll want to call an arborist over another landscape professional:
- Tree Symptoms: Madison-area homeowners should know the signs of trees stress, which can include yellowing leaves or premature leaf drop, peeling bark, brittle branches, certain types of mushroom growth on or around the tree, and more. If you suspect your trees are stressed, diseased, or infested, an arborist can assess and diagnose.
- Safety Hazards: Leaning and exposed roots are signs of instability that an arborist looks for during a tree risk assessment. They can also prune branches too close to the home or power lines and address tree roots causing foundation damage.
- Consultation for Removal: From safety hazards to aesthetic concerns, a certified arborist will assess your needs and manage the entire tree removal process.
- Seasonal Maintenance: When an arborist visits your property every few months, they are more likely to catch early warning signs and take action before issues develop. This also means a decreased risk of tree emergencies in the future.
Choose Stephenson for Reliable Tree Care in Dane County
For any service that regards the health or structure of trees, a certified arborist is the best professional for the job. At Stephenson Tree Care, we prioritize your property and peace of mind, adhering to strict ANSI safety standards on every property visit.
With state-of-the-art equipment, deep industry and regional knowledge, and full insurance coverage, our ISA-Certified Arborists are prepared to address any tree care need—from regular maintenance and inspections to major tree removals and everything in between.
Ready to schedule a consultation, or need emergency tree care in or near Madison? Call 608-401-4850 or contact us online today!
FAQs
What is the difference between an arborist and a landscaper?
An arborist specializes in the health, structure, and safety of trees and shrubs, while a landscaper focuses on the overall design and aesthetics of your outdoor space. Unlike landscapers, arborists who are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture are qualified to diagnose tree diseases, assess structural risks, and perform proper pruning techniques that protect long-term tree health. They also must hold a pesticide applicator license and meet a 3-year certification renewal requirement.
Is tree trimming the same as tree pruning?
No, tree trimming and tree pruning are related but serve different purposes. Trimming focuses on the shape and appearance of a tree, while pruning is a targeted practice aimed at improving structural health by removing damaged, diseased, or hazardous branches. For safe and effective pruning that protects your trees in the long term, always hire an ISA-Certified Arborist.
When should I call a certified arborist in the Madison, Wisconsin area?
Call a certified arborist any time you notice signs of tree disease, storm damage, leaning trunks, or branches too close to your home or power lines. Madison-area homeowners should also watch for region-specific threats like oak wilt, tar spots on maple trees, and emerald ash borer infestations, all of which require professional arborist diagnosis and treatment.
What should I look for when hiring a tree service in Madison, WI?
First, make sure the arborists at the tree care company are ISA-Certified. You can confirm this by searching for professionals in the International Society of Arboriculture’s directory. Also confirm that the company is licensed and insured, offers the range of tree care services you’re looking for, and has a strong reputation for work in the region. A reputable, certified arborist will provide a written assessment, explain their approach clearly, and prioritize the long-term health of your trees over a quick fix.
