My tree looks unhealthy or is declining

Thinning canopy, off-color leaves, slow dieback — general decline can come from drought stress, root problems, disease, insects or old damage, and it usually takes eyes on the actual tree to sort out which. We don't yet have a written guide specifically on this, so the fastest path is a professional read.

Content gap: no dedicated decline/health guide exists yet.

I have dead branches

A few dead branches high in an otherwise healthy tree is common and often not urgent; a lot of deadwood, or large-diameter dead limbs, is worth a closer look. If the deadwood followed a storm, our After the Storm guide covers how much crown loss actually matters. Otherwise, send photos for a professional opinion.

Content gap: no standalone deadwood guide yet.

Something is growing on the trunk or roots

Mushrooms or shelf fungus at the base or on the trunk are one of the earlier warning signs of internal decay worth paying attention to — not necessarily an emergency, but worth understanding. We have a post specifically on this.

My tree is leaning

An old lean the tree grew into over decades is a different situation from a lean that showed up recently. If this appeared after a storm, our After the Storm guide walks through how to tell the two apart from the ground. Otherwise, a lean is hard to evaluate without seeing it.

Content gap: no standalone leaning guide yet.

There's a crack or split

Some cracks are just old bark texture; a fresh split you can see into is a different matter, particularly on a large limb or the trunk itself. Our After the Storm and Before You Remove That Tree guides both touch on reading trunk cracks, but neither is a dedicated crack guide — for something you're looking at right now, a professional opinion is the direct route.

Content gap: no standalone crack/split guide yet.

I think it needs pruning

Structural or corrective pruning can address a lot of what looks alarming — weak limbs, overextension, storm prep — without removal. See what pruning covers on our Services page, or just ask.

I'm worried about the roots

Root problems — girdling roots, a buried root flare, soil heaving — are some of the hardest things to judge without being on-site, because most of the system is underground. If this follows recent digging, grading or construction nearby, see the item below on that specifically; otherwise, a professional look is the honest answer here.

Content gap: no standalone root-health guide yet (see Construction, below, for the one root-related situation we do have written up).

My tree was damaged by a storm

Our full ground-check guide covers exactly this — eight things to look at after wind damage, what each one means, and which ones warrant a professional before you do anything else.

Construction happened around it

Digging, grading, a new driveway or trenching near a tree can damage roots in ways that don't show up in the canopy for a year or more. This is covered in our property due-diligence guide, in the section on recent site work — worth reading even if you're not buying or selling.

I'm worried about a neighbor's tree

Trees that cross a property line raise questions that are part arboriculture and part property law — what you can and can't do, and when to involve someone.