(יט) כִּי תָצוּר אֶל עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ לְתָפְשָׂהּ לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל וְאֹתוֹ לֹא תִכְרֹת כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹר.
(19) When you besiege a city for an extended period, in making war against it to take it, you may not destroy the trees by wielding an axe against them; for you may eat of them, but you shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field a human, that you should war against it?
Rabenu Bachya
The commentators explain that the life of human beings and their food is [from] a tree of the field…and it is not the way of a wise and understanding nation to needlessly destroy something so worthy, and therefore you should not cut down a tree of the field, rather you should protect it from destruction and damage, and take benefit from it.”
The commentators explain that the life of human beings and their food is [from] a tree of the field…and it is not the way of a wise and understanding nation to needlessly destroy something so worthy, and therefore you should not cut down a tree of the field, rather you should protect it from destruction and damage, and take benefit from it.”
אין איסור עד שיכרות את השורשים
Mishneh LaMelekh on Rambam Hilkhot Issurei Mizbeah 7:3
There is no prohibition in sometimes cutting off a branch, but it is entirely forbidden to chop or cut away even a single root