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As the other commenter already said, it is really hard to transplant old trees. Think about how big tree roots get. There is no way to save 100% of a planted tree’s roots so cuts have to be made. And by the time you are able to free the tree from the ground, you’ve often cut too much of its roots for it to survive.
You are right. Turning an adjective into a noun tends to make it more degrading because you’ve focused on the characteristic rather than the person. That’s why referring to people as “blacks” or “females” feels icky. It’s why we saw “deaf people” and not “the deafs” or “old people” and not “the olds.”