Courtyards, lawns, and properties offer bountiful opportunities to show off lots of greenery. However, sometimes disease strikes or storms come through that damage your trees, but identifying them as dead or dying may be trickier than you think. Know the warning signs to spot dying trees, which is important on two levels: aesthetically, dying trees can be a blemish on your property, but more importantly it is also a safety concern. Dying trees are more likely to have weak branches that can snap and fall, damaging windows, cars, and people below. Some signs of dying tree include:
Sticks cover the ground
If a tree is constantly shedding sticks and you see them surrounding the trunk on the ground, it likely means the tree is dying. Sticks will come down due to high winds, but if sticks are falling during good, clear weather, it may mean the tree is dying and needs inspecting.
Signs of rot or fungus
Rot or fungus around the trunk or visible on bark up and down the tree is not a good sign. Tree specialists should be called to take care of the rot, but if there is too much it may mean the tree is past saving and will have to be taken down before it infects neighboring trees.
The tree is leaning
If your normally straight tree starts leaning, nutrients are not getting into the tree and it may be dying. Sometimes trees grow at a slight angle initially; those are generally fine, but if an otherwise straight one starts leaning it is a sure sign the tree is unwell.
Bark is falling off
Bark is the skin of a tree: it protects the tree’s insides and plays a vital role in the health of the organism. If the bark is flaking and peeling, it may mean the tree is dying. Bark can sometimes be reattached, but normally cleaning the fallen bark is important in containing the negative effects and not letting the disease spread to other trees.
A lack of leaves
Wintertime is a normal season for trees to be barren, but if your trees produce no leaves or fruits come spring and summer, something is amiss. Pests or disease may have penetrated the tree, leading to poor health.
Brittle branches
Weaker branches are a sign of a weaker tree. Flaky branches, extra hollow branches, and those that fall very easily with gentle wind, or from no wind at all, are a clear sign of an unwell tree.
No green under the bark
If you look under the bark of a tree, or if some bark falls off, and there is no green beneath it, that tree is not doing okay. Dead trees lack nutrient flow, and no nutrients means no greenery. If you don’t see green under the bark, seek out other symptoms.