Which equipment commonly damages ornamental plants?

Lawn mowers and string trimmers can commonly damage ornamental plants due to their powerful cutting mechanisms and the way they operate. When mowers are used near flower beds or landscaped areas, the blades can easily come into contact with delicate plants, causing cuts, bruising, and even uprooting small plants. String trimmers, while useful for edging and trimming, can also pose a risk as they fling debris and can cut through stems and foliage, leading to significant injury or death of the plants.

In contrast, tools like pruners, shovels, hoes, rakes, chainsaws, and digging forks are generally used for more targeted purposes like pruning, planting, or digging and can be handled more carefully to minimize unintentional damage to surrounding plants. Therefore, while all tools have their respective applications, lawn mowers and string trimmers pose a more widespread risk to ornamental plants in typical landscaping scenarios.