7 Warning Signs You Need a Tree Removed Immediately in Greensboro

Most failed trees in Greensboro gave warning signs for months — sometimes years — before they came down. Here are the seven signs a local arborist will tell you not to ignore.

1. A new lean (or a worsening one)

A tree that was straight last year and is leaning this year is a tree that is failing right now. Look for fresh soil cracking on the high side of the root ball — that's root lift, and it doesn't reverse.

2. Mushrooms or conks at the base or on the trunk

Shelf fungus, conks, and clusters of mushrooms at the base mean the wood is being actively decayed. The structural strength of the tree is being eaten from the inside.

3. A vertical crack down the trunk

Any vertical split — especially one you can fit a finger into — is a sign that the trunk is already separating. Wind will finish the job.

4. Hollow sound when you tap the trunk

A solid trunk thuds. A hollow trunk booms. More than about 30% hollow and the tree's load-bearing capacity is compromised.

5. Dead branches in the upper canopy

Dead wood at the top of the tree (sometimes called a 'stag-head') means the tree is dying from the top down. Those branches will fall.

6. Cavities, missing bark, or oozing wounds

Cavities collect water and accelerate internal decay. Large sections of missing bark mean the vascular system is dead in that zone.

7. The tree is over your roof and is the wrong species

Bradford pears, silver maples, and old water oaks over a roof in Greensboro are the trees we get called on most often after a storm. If yours fits that description, an arborist's assessment is worth more than a removal you didn't plan for.