Most trees are an asset - shade, curb appeal, a little privacy. But a tree that’s failing can turn into a serious problem in one storm, and the warning signs are usually there for months before anything falls.

You don’t need to be an expert to spot the big ones. Here are five things worth a closer look, and what they usually mean.

1. Dead limbs up in the canopy

Bare branches with no leaves in the middle of summer - especially large ones - are dead wood, and dead wood comes down eventually. A few small deadwood branches are normal and can be pruned out. But large dead limbs over a driveway, walkway, or roof are the ones that hurt someone or dent a car when they let go. If a good chunk of the crown is bare, the tree itself may be in decline.

2. A lean that’s new or getting worse

Plenty of healthy trees grow at an angle - that’s not the problem. The warning sign is a lean that’s changed, especially if you see the soil cracking or lifting on one side of the base. That means the root plate is starting to give, and a tree that’s shifting at the roots has already lost part of what’s holding it up. A sudden lean after a storm is a call-us-now situation.

3. Cracks, cavities, or hollow spots in the trunk

A deep vertical crack, a large cavity, or a section of trunk that sounds hollow when you knock on it all point to a weak spot. Trees can live a long time with some hollowing, but once the shell of solid wood gets thin, the trunk can fail in wind - often right at that weak point. Big cracks where two main stems meet are especially worth checking.

4. Mushrooms or fungus at the base

Mushrooms, conks, or shelf fungus growing on the trunk or around the roots usually mean there’s decay inside - the fungus is feeding on wood that’s already breaking down. You can’t always see how far it’s gone from the outside, but fungus at the base of a big tree is a reason to have it looked at, not ignored.

5. It’s dropping limbs on its own

If a tree is shedding branches with no storm to blame, it’s telling you something. Self-pruning of small twigs happens, but a tree dropping sizable limbs on calm days is stressed and shedding weight it can’t support. That pattern tends to get worse, not better.

What to do if you spot one

One sign doesn’t always mean a tree has to come out - sometimes the fix is pruning out the dead or weak wood and keeping an eye on it. Other times, especially with root or trunk problems near a house, removal is the safe call. The tricky part is that the most dangerous problems - roots and internal decay - are the hardest to judge from the ground.

That’s what a free estimate is for. If a tree in your yard is giving you any of these signs, send us a photo or give us a call and we’ll come take a look. We’ll tell you straight whether it needs to go, needs a trim, or just needs watching - we’re not going to talk you into taking down a tree that doesn’t need it.

5 Signs a Tree on Your Property Might Be a Hazard