The article traces how wealthy people have used large, expensive trees as status symbols—a trend that dates back to Andrew Carnegie uprooting 60-foot trees from New York and Connecticut forests in 1901. Today's ultra-wealthy continue this practice, spending enormous sums to acquire and transplant mature trees for their properties.

• Andrew Carnegie moved 30 trees over 60 feet tall from northeastern forests to his estate in the early 1900s, establishing the precedent for tree-as-wealth-display
• Modern wealthy buyers purchase mature, specimen trees at premium prices and hire specialists to relocate them, treating landscaping as a luxury good
• The practice reflects how the rich convert natural resources into visible markers of affluence on their properties