9 Signs a Tree Needs to Be Removed: Before It Decides For You

The main signs a tree needs to be removed start with large dead branches and a worsening lean. Soil lifting at the base is another. Fungus growing from the trunk, deep cracks, peeling bark and heavy woodpecker damage also count. Thin or early-falling leaves and a hollow trunk round out the list. Some of these trees can still recover.

A dying tree rarely falls without warning. Instead, it sends signals, sometimes for years. Homeowners who end up with a trunk through the roof usually weren't unlucky. They simply didn't know what the tree was telling them.

Here is what to look for, roughly in order of how fast it needs a professional look. Many of these signs also appear on the Recognizing Tree Risk checklist from TreesAreGood.org. That site is the consumer arm of the International Society of Arboriculture.

1. Large Dead Branches, Especially Up High

Big dead limbs in the canopy are the most obvious hazard on a tree. Arborists call them widow-makers for a reason, because they can drop without wind or warning. One or two dead branches may only need pruning. However, deadwood throughout the crown suggests the whole tree is failing.

Quick check: in summer, look for bare branches in an otherwise leafy canopy. In winter, look for branches that have shed their bark.

2. A Lean That's Getting Worse

Plenty of healthy trees lean. The danger sign is change, such as a tree that leans more than it used to, especially after a storm. A worsening lean often means the roots are losing their grip.

Quick check: photograph the tree from the same spot each season. That way, your camera roll keeps a better record than your memory.

3. Lifting Soil or Exposed Roots at the Base

Watch the ground around the trunk. If the soil on one side mounds up, cracks or lifts, the root plate may be levering out. This is one of the most urgent signs on this list. In fact, it can come right before the whole tree goes over.

4. Fungus at the Base or on the Trunk

Mushrooms or shelf-like conks growing from the trunk or root flare are fruiting bodies. In other words, they are the visible tip of decay inside the wood. So a tree can look sturdy while fungus hollows out its core. Fungus on the ground near a tree is usually harmless. By contrast, fungus growing from the tree itself is not.

5. Bark Falling Off in Sheets

Trees shed some bark naturally, and some species look ragged by design. For example, sycamore and shagbark hickory peel as they grow. Still, large patches of missing bark usually mean that part of the tree is dead. That is especially true when no new bark forms at the edges.

6. Cracks in the Trunk

Look for long vertical cracks or splits in the trunk or major limbs. Deep cracks, or ones that appear after a storm, can mean the tree is failing now. A crack where two trunks meet in a "V" union is especially serious, since those unions start out weak.

Even so, some of these trees are candidates for cabling and bracing rather than removal. That is exactly the kind of call an on-site assessment settles.

7. Woodpecker Traffic and Exit Holes

Woodpeckers don't dig into healthy wood for fun. Heavy woodpecker activity usually means insects live in the tree, and insects in numbers usually mean decay. Meanwhile, small, patterned exit holes in the bark can point to borers such as emerald ash borer. Either way, something is living in the tree that shouldn't be.

8. No Leaves, Late Leaves, or Brown-in-July Leaves

Watch how the tree leafs out compared with its neighbors. If it leafs out weeks late, drops leaves in midsummer or grows small, sparse leaves, it is stressed at best. At worst, it is dying.

Some causes are treatable, though, so see our tree health services. That is why "declining" and "doomed" are not the same diagnosis.

9. Hollow Sound, Hollow Trunk

A hollow tree isn't automatically a dead tree, since trees can live a long time with hollow centers. Still, a hollow trunk is a weaker trunk. How much strength remains is a structural judgment, not a guess, so this one is purely a professional call.

When a hollow tree must come down, the crew drops it, cuts it up and hauls it off. One customer had a hollow oak more than 4 feet across and 75 feet tall. Harry Y. described the job in his Google review. "The team did a great job taking it down, chopping it up and hauling everything away."

Other Warning Signs Worth Checking

The TreesAreGood.org checklist adds a few signs that are easy to miss. For instance, recent construction, changes in soil level or new pavement near the roots can damage a tree. Also watch for topping or heavy pruning in the past, which can leave weak regrowth.

Power lines need special care. If a tree or limb touches a utility line, never try to remove it yourself. Instead, call your electric company, because the line may still carry power.

Dead vs. Dying vs. Stressed: Why the Difference Matters

These three conditions lead to three different conversations:

• A dead tree has one future. The only question is whether it comes down on your schedule or its own. Dead trees get more dangerous every season, because decayed wood is riskier to climb and rig.
• A dying tree may or may not recover, depending on the cause. Root damage, disease and pests each have a different outlook.
• A stressed tree often just needs help, such as correct pruning, soil care or treatment.

Misreading which one you have costs money either way. If you remove a tree that could recover, you lose the tree and the money. On the other hand, if you nurse a dead one, you lose the money and keep the hazard.

What Should You Do If You See These Signs?

Stay out from under the tree and don't climb it. Also don't assume "it's probably fine" when any of these signs show up near your house, driveway or play area.

Instead, get an assessment. Ours are free in Dutchess County, and Shawn gives the estimates himself. If we can save the tree, we'll tell you how. If it can't, we'll explain why and what tree removal in Dutchess County.

Request a Free Assessment · Call (518) 960-6057