Breakaway bracket for use with modular tree guard

A modular tree guard system comprising:

• a plurality of posts;
• a plurality of rails including at least one top rail and at least one bottom rail;
• and
• a plurality of L shaped breakaway brackets, each breakaway bracket of the plurality of breakaway brackets comprising a horizontal member extending substantially perpendicularly from a vertical member wherein:
• a rail of the plurality of rails is adapted to be coupled at a first rail end to a first post of the plurality of posts by a first breakaway bracket of the plurality of breakaway brackets and at a second rail end to a second post of the plurality of posts by a second breakaway bracket of the plurality of breakaway brackets;
• and
• at least one of the first and second breakaway brackets has a strength such that it will break along an intersection of the horizontal member and the vertical member and separate the rail and the horizontal member from a post of the first and second posts and the vertical member when a rail-deforming force amount that would otherwise be sufficient to deform the rail is applied to the rail in a first direction, and such that it will break along an intersection of the horizontal member and the vertical member and separate the rail and the horizontal member from the post of the first and second posts and the vertical member when the rail-deforming force amount that would otherwise be sufficient to deform the rail is applied to the rail in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction.