Northern Light
Superstar
I know nothing about trees
I know a bit about 'em.
, but when I lived in Korea I noticed that they seemed to be able to successfully transplant mature trees.
It can be done, for sure. But, the more mature/heavy, the greater the cost.
Transplanting a typical 2.5M 'caliper' is ~$500 installed give or take. (will vary by conditions, size of contract etc.)
Same with a 40ft tree is $20,000
Mature trees are also at higher risk of transplant shock, mainly because of how much the roots have to be cut back for transport.
So it can be done, for sure. Just a question of how they choose to attempt/achieve it.