• July 14, 2026
• Gardening Tips,Plant Guides,

For years the damas tree (Conocarpus) was planted everywhere in the UAE. It is fast, cheap, evergreen, tolerates salt and heat, and it makes a thick screen in a couple of seasons. Developers loved it. Then the bills started arriving.

Today damas seeds and seedlings are banned in the UAE, and municipalities have removed the trees by the thousand. If you have one in your garden, it is worth understanding why.

What the ban actually is

To be precise, because this gets reported loosely:

• Damas seeds and seedlings are banned in the UAE — you should not be able to buy them from nurseries. Ras Al Khaimah’s Environment Protection and Development Authority confirmed the ban, which followed instructions from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
• Dubai Municipality has run removal campaigns since 2012, felling thousands of damas trees across the emirate’s communities after residents reported damage. Its Parks and Horticulture Department acted on hundreds of complaints of the tree causing harm.
• Ras Al Khaimah uprooted more than 4,000 damas trees from November 2018 onwards, after finding roots inside sewage and water networks near homes, schools and factories.

So it is not simply “a Dubai ban” — it is a nationwide restriction on propagating and selling the tree, backed by active removal programmes across the emirates.

The real problem: the roots

Everything wrong with damas comes down to its root system. It is enormous, aggressive, and it actively hunts for water.

The roots can sense moisture and grow towards it — which in a villa means they head straight for your kitchen, bathrooms, drains and swimming pool. They then get inside water and sewage pipes, grow within them, and deform or block them entirely.

The disadvantages, in plain terms

• It breaks your water and sewage pipes. Roots penetrate joints, grow inside the pipe, and obstruct the flow. This is the number one reason for the ban.
• It cracks and topples boundary walls. Working together, damas roots can push over a wall and leave the ground around it heaved and cratered.
• It damages swimming pools, paving and foundations as the roots chase moisture and expand.
• It can spike your DEWA bill. Once the roots reach a water line and cause a leak, you pay for water you never used — often the first sign something is wrong.
• It harms nearby plants. It is a greedy competitor and suppresses what grows around it.
• Pollen and allergies. It produces heavy pollen and is widely associated with allergy and respiratory complaints.
• It even affects local honey. Beekeepers report that nectar from damas mixes with native flower nectar and degrades the quality and taste of the honey.
• Endless maintenance. The growth rate that made it attractive means constant pruning to keep it in shape.

If you already have one

Do not just cut the trunk. The tree must be removed with its roots — if you leave the root system in the ground it stays biologically active, regrows, and keeps working its way into your pipes. That is the single most common mistake we see.

Practical steps:

• Look for warning signs: an unexplained jump in your water bill, damp patches, slow drains, a leaning or cracked boundary wall, lifted paving.
• Have the tree and its roots extracted properly — near pipework and pool structures this is not a DIY job.
• Repair any pipe or wall damage before replanting.
• Replant with something that will not repeat the problem.

What to plant instead for a fast screen

The good news: you can get privacy without the destruction.

• Ficus nitida / Ficus hedging — commonly used for formal screens (still keep it a sensible distance from pipes and walls).
• Bougainvillea on a wall or fence — fast, colourful, very low water. See our bougainvillea guide.
• Oleander — extremely tough, but note it is highly toxic; not a good choice with children or pets.
• Clusia, Carissa or Thevetia for dense, manageable hedging.
• Native shade trees such as ghaf or sidr where you have the space — see our guide to native and desert plants for Dubai gardens.

Whatever you choose, keep trees a sensible distance from boundary walls, pool shells and underground services, and be honest about the mature size of the species.

Please check before you plant or cut

Tree regulations in the UAE differ between emirates and are updated from time to time. Treat this article as a practical guide, not legal advice — always confirm the current rules with your local municipality (or your community developer) before you plant a tree, and especially before you remove one.

Sources

• Khaleej Times — Over 4,000 Damas trees uprooted in UAE
• Gulf News — Damas trees can wreak havoc in your home garden
• The National — Damas trees to be felled to protect infrastructure

Have a damas tree you need removed?

Damas must be taken out roots and all — cut the trunk only and it will regrow and keep damaging your pipes. Our tree services team handles safe removal, full root extraction and replanting with a species that will not wreck your garden. Call +971 50 495 4437, message us on WhatsApp, or request a free site visit.