My neighbor has a vendetta against my mulberry tree – he says I’m ‘selfish’ but people tell me to stand my ground
A FRUSTRATED woman has shared her neighbor’s vendetta against her prized mulberry tree.
Though he wants the tree to go because of his dog, she says he’s barking up the wrong, well, tree.
Redditor Dummyrage shared the neighbor drama in a viral post.
The 32-year-old woman explained that she’s been lucky enough to have a thriving mulberry tree in her yard for years.
“It’s tall, but it doesn’t hang over the fence or encroach on my neighbor’s property,” she explained.
“Every summer, I look forward to harvesting the delicious mulberries and enjoying them in salads, smoothies, and baked goods.”
Her neighbor, however, seems to feel that the tree is more of a nuisance to his home than it is.
“[He] has been pestering me nonstop about the tree,” she said.
“His issue? His dog’s paws turn purple from walking through the mulberry stains on the sidewalk, and he’s worried about the stains on his white carpet when the dog comes inside.
“At first, I tried to be understanding and polite, but his constant nagging has become increasingly annoying.”
His tactics include ambushing and cornering her outside of her home.
“He’s taken to waiting for me to step outside, then confronting me about the tree, berating me for being ‘inconsiderate’ and ‘selfish,'” she said.
Though she stood her ground on keeping the tree, he wood not back off.
“I’ve had to become more and more firm with him, telling him that the tree is not a problem and that he needs to take responsibility for his own dog’s mess,” she explained.
“But he won’t let up, and it’s starting to feel like harassment. I’m tired of being bullied and guilt-tripped into cutting down a tree that’s rightfully mine.”
People encouraged her to stand on business, even if her neighbor refused to leave her alone.
How to get rid of mulberry stains
Experts at New Scientist have shared ways to remove mulberry stains.
David Muir, a writer at New Scientist, explained that the stains are susceptible to acids, such as milk, due to their pH-sensitive composition.
“The stain-removing capacity of unripe mulberries and milk is due to their acidity,” he said.
“Unripe fruits are more acidic than ripe ones, hence their sour taste. Milk is also acidic. The acidity in mulberries is due to citric and ascorbic acids and that in milk to lactic acid.”
Writer Lewis O’Shaughnessy added that the juice of unripe red mulberries is effective at removing stains left over from ripe black mulberries.
The reason, he explained, is that the two juices contain the same solvent but different pigment molecules.
“Perhaps the red molecules bind less strongly to skin or are more water soluble,” he said.
“Applying red mulberry juice to a dark mulberry stain therefore applies more of the solvent, mixing it back into a solution and making it easier to wash off.”
“He just needs to walk on the other side of the street. The f**k is wrong with this guy?” asked one incredulous commenter.
“That’s definitely harassment. My advice is to get an estimate of the tree’s monetary value [from] a professional and casually mention to that neighbor that [if] anything happens to the tree, the perpetrator can be sued for full compensation,” they added.
“Depending on where you live, there might be more laws protecting trees. Educate yourself on your rights (and those of the tree). Get a wildlife cam, just in case.”
They added that if the harassment continued, she had the right to take measures to protect her peace.
“At this point, just straight up ignoring this creep (who the hell waits for the neighbor to step outside to harass them?) is more than justified, by the way,” they said.
“Stand your ground,” agreed another.