You know, Im my old flight sim (AW) They would design a feature that wouldnt be quite right. They would end up disabling the feature, once they realised it didnt work, rather than fixing it.
But I have found with AH that is not thier approach. They design a feature, and If they find problems or see a better way to do it, The fix the problem.
If you brush a leaf, it certainly shouldnt mean instant death. The trees now dont provide any cover. If you crash into one at 100knts dead center, You probably will wreck your A/C
Given time, I have a feeling we will see improvments with the trees. Its just a new feature that needs the wrinkles worked out.