Arabian Ranches is a classic damas community. Large family villas, long rear boundary walls, and a hedge planted to screen the neighbours — usually damas, because it grew fast and filled the gap in two seasons. Twenty years on, we are removing those hedges across the Ranches.
Why damas is a problem in Arabian Ranches
- Long boundary hedge lines rather than single trees, so removal is a run of many trees and a continuous root mass
- Irrigation lines typically run along the same boundary the hedge was planted on — the roots find them almost immediately
- Big family gardens mean lawns and beds; damas roots compete aggressively and leave surrounding planting weak
- Root heave under interlock, garden paths and boundary walls is very common here
Ranches villas usually have good rear access, which means we can often bring in the right equipment and clear a full hedge line efficiently rather than piece by piece.
The damage damas does
Damas (Conocarpus) roots actively grow towards moisture. In a villa that means they head for your drains, your water lines and your pool. Once inside a pipe they keep growing, deform it and block it. Damas seeds and seedlings are now banned in the UAE for exactly this reason — the background is in our guide to why the damas tree is banned.
- Blocked and broken water and sewage pipes
- Cracked, bulging or toppled boundary walls
- Damage to pool shells, paving and villa foundations
- A rising DEWA bill from a leak you cannot see
- Pollen and allergy complaints, and weakened plants nearby
Warning signs in your Arabian Ranches villa
- Your water bill has climbed with no change in how much you use
- Damp ground, or water pooling near the tree or a wall
- Drains that block repeatedly
- A boundary wall that is leaning, bulging or cracking
- Lifted paving, interlock or pool decking
- Surface roots heading towards the villa
Cutting the trunk will not fix it
This is the mistake that costs people twice. Fell the tree and leave the roots, and the root system stays alive, regrows and carries on damaging your pipes. A damas is only gone when the roots are out of the ground.
How we remove damas in Arabian Ranches
- Free site survey — we assess the tree, the access, and what is buried near it: water lines, drainage, pool shell, wall footings
- Safe, controlled felling — dismantled in sections where it is tight against a wall, pool or villa
- Full root and stump extraction — the whole root system, so it cannot regrow
- Damage check — we inspect the pipework, wall footings and paving the roots reached
- Backfill and reinstate — soil replaced, ground levelled, site left clean
- Replanting — optional, with a species that will not repeat the problem
What to plant instead
You can keep your privacy without the destruction. Depending on the spot we would suggest ficus hedging set safely back from services, bougainvillea along a wall, or a native ghaf or sidr where there is room. Our soft landscaping team replants once the damas is out. Before you choose, it is worth reading banned and restricted trees in the UAE — and note that ghaf is a protected species you must never remove without permission.
Damas removal cost in Arabian Ranches
It depends on the size of the tree or the length of the hedge, how close it is to walls, pools and pipework, and how much root extraction is involved. We will not quote you a number over the phone and then change it on the day — we come out, look at it, and give you a fixed price. The site visit is free.
Book damas tree removal in Arabian Ranches
Call +971 50 495 4437, message us on WhatsApp, or request a free site visit. See our full damas tree removal service, our wider tree services, and everything we do in Arabian Ranches. We cover every area of Dubai.