As the best tree service in Jones Creek, TX, Country Trees LLC takes pride in helping property owners around the region maintain a healthy and beautiful landscape. One of our most important jobs is helping clients understand how to know if a tree will fall.
In this discussion, we’d like to provide information about some of the red flags to watch out for and when to call our team for an expert tree safety and health assessment.
Warning Signs That a Tree May Fall
These are the most important visual clues that help how to know if a tree will fall. Call on an expert arborist if you notice any of these indications.
1. A Leaning Trunk
Some trees naturally grow at an angle. However, when a leaning trunk either suddenly appears or noticeably increases over time, structural issues are likely. In particular, if a tree takes on a lean of more than 15 degrees — especially following a storm or high winds — it can signal root damage and instability.
Contact a professional arborist for an inspection of a significantly leaning tree.
2. Visible Cracks in the Trunk
Large, deep cracks along the trunk or major branches almost always weaken a tree’s structure. These cracks typically result from storms, disease, or internal decay, and they substantially increase the risk of sudden splitting and toppling.
Regularly examine your trees for vertical or horizontal cracks, especially after extreme weather. If you notice hollow spots or missing bark, call for an expert assessment.
3. Signs of Decay and Fungal Growth
Fungal growth, particularly mushrooms sprouting around a tree’s base, indicates decay inside the trunk. Decayed wood weakens the tree’s structural integrity, making it more likely to fail and collapse, especially in bad weather.
Identifying soft or spongy wood, peeling bark, or sawdust-like material around a tree’s base is a key part of how to know if a tree will fall.
4. Root Damage and Uprooting
No tree can maintain stability with root systems that fail or become compromised. Root damage can occur due to construction, soil erosion, or fungal infections.
Common signs of root issues include:
- Exposed or visibly broken roots
- Fungal growth near the base
- Unusual soil disturbances from recent excavation
5. Dead Branches and Thinning Canopy
Of course, healthy trees maintain full foliage during their growing season. Trees are in distress when you notice large sections of the canopy appear bare or dead branches are frequently falling when leaves are typically green.
Inspect your tree for brittle branches and sections without leaves, and call an expert for a health assessment.
6. Soil Heaving Around the Base
Soil heaving is when the ground around a tree rapidly appears raised or cracked. This subsurface movement and pressure that causes heaving can indicate the tree is losing its grip in the ground and may fall soon.
Look carefully for uneven soil, lifted roots, or shifting ground. These are urgent signs that the tree is at risk of falling.
Protect Your Property With Country Trees LLC
Jones Creek and our entire area of Coastal Texas experience a wide variety of weather conditions — including strong winds and heavy rains — that can weaken even mature trees over time or suddenly.
Now that we’ve discussed how to know if a tree will fall, remember to keep a careful eye on any trees on your property that could pose a threat to people, homes, power lines, and roadways. Country Trees LLC also invites you to read our other posts on relevant topics including the ways to remove tree stumps safely and completely.
Contact our team today at (979) 824-0325 to discuss tree care and schedule service.