Trees are in invaluable element to residential landscapes. Among other things, they filter toxins from the air, release fresh oxygen back into the atmosphere, create natural shade, and even keep your home cooler during the summer. However, there are times when a tree should be removed, which is something we’re going to discuss today.
#1) Fungi Growing Around the Trunk
It’s not uncommon for mold, mushrooms and other fungi to grow on trees. Normally, this doesn’t cause any problems. But if fungi is growing around the base of the trunk, it could indicate serious disease, in which case you may want to remove the tree.
#2) Tree Cankers
Are there areas of the tree that’s missing bark? Known as “tree cankers,” this is typically a sign of disease or serious injury. Depending on the severity of the cankers, you may want to remove the tree before it falls over. This is particularly true if the cankers are growing in size or spreading to other parts of the tree.
#3) Falling Branches
Of course, another sign that your tree should be removed is falling branches. You can expect trees to shed some small branches during high winds – and that’s okay. If the tree is shedding lots of branches while the other trees surrounding it are not, though, it’s probably dead or dying.
#4) Not Budding
If a flowering tree isn’t budding, it’s probably suffering from an underlying health issue. Granted, you can wait another season to see if it buds. Sometimes trees get stuck in a dormant state for a prolonged length, and that extra season can help them emerge and bud. If your tree still doesn’t bud after this period, you should consider removing it from your landscape.
#5) Decay
Perhaps the most tell-tale sign that you should remove a tree is decay. Being that trees are organic, they are susceptible to decay just like all other organic matter. A living and healthy tree, however, shouldn’t decay. If you discover fallen branches that are rotted out, you can assume other parts of the tree are decayed as well.
#6) Leaf Scorch
Leaf scorch is a bacterial infection that’s characterized by the presence of red and yellow lines around the leaves, making them look “scorched.” Because it’s easily spread by insects, you should remove infected trees from your landscape as soon as possible.
The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.
If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or
It’s good to know that there’s a serious problem when there are fungi growing at the base of the tree. My aunt noticed there was some kind of growth on the tree in my backyard. The growth is pretty low but not completely around the base. I might just have a professional come and check if there’s anything wrong. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Thanks for sharing your article about the signs that you need a tree removal service. I like that you talked about how you should pay attention if a specific tree is shedding more branches compared to other trees in the surrounding. This morning, I checked our yard to clean it and see the condition of the trees. Apparently, there were visible branches that fell from a tree which I believe is more than 3 decades old. I don’t want this to end up harming my children, so I’ll make sure to contact a professional tree removal service to help me.
There’s an old tree on my property that’s been quite the eyesore. Some of the branches have fallen of, so I should probably have it removed. That way I don’t have to worry about it falling down and damaging anything.
My brother has lot of trees in his Yard. He is quite confused about which tree are healthy and which need removal. I will suggest him to go through your blog , so that he can get to know if any of his tree needs removal or not.
I did appreciate it when you pointed out that if in case a tree is shedding a lot of branches and the others are not, then it’s time to get it removed for it might be dead and can cause a lot of inconvenience for us. I will be sure to get the tree in the yard removed as it is shedding an awful amount of branches. It needs to be taken off the property before it begins hitting the kids and some random strangers. Thank you.
I have a really old tree in my backyard, and I have been wondering if it is time for me to remove the tree. That is good to know that if the tree isn’t budding after a long period then I should consider removing it. I will have to wait and see if it starts to bud in the summer. Thank you for the information!
It sure was informative how you said fungi growing around the base of the tree trunk could indicate serious disease in the tree, and therefore, it might be necessary to get it removed. I will make sure to discuss this with my parents since the tree has been around even before I was born. I noticed that there are a lot of fungi growing in the trunk, and it has gotten me so worried I want to get it removed. Thank you for sharing.
It was great how you pointed out that the most common sign that the tree needs to be removed is if it is decaying since a healthy tree should not be decaying. I guess it is a sign of the decay if the branches are starting to dry off and the bark is slowly peeling off. I will be sure to mention this to my mom since the tree is hers. Still, I do think she needs to agree to get it removed. Thank you.
Perfect article, lots of great helpful insights here!
It sure was great when you said that when a tree has fungi growing on the trunk, it means that it has a serious disease, and it needs to be removed right away. Knowing that the tree in our yard has a disease, I fear that whatever infected it will also affect the other trees. For that, I think it is best to cut the tree down and grind the remaining part to eliminate all possibilities. Thank you for sharing.
It was really nice when you said that if we ever notice that a part of the tree has already started decaying, then it is time to remove it because that will not happen to a healthy tree. Well, I cannot say that it is still healthy since it is nothing but a stump now. But, anyway, I will get a professional to remove it since it has started rotting. Thank you for sharing.
It was really helpful when you said that the tree might need to be removed if it has severe tree cankers as that can make the tree fall over. The property is pretty small, so it can damage the house if it ever falls down. I will call a professional to have the tree with removed right away. Thank you for sharing this.
I wanted to know more about trees since I want to know if the tree in the yard is up for removal. That is the reason why I appreciated seeing this and learning that if a large number of branches is falling from a tree, it is a sign that it needs removal. Just a few days ago, the tree nearly lost all its branches. I guess I know what that means now. Thank you for the info.
Recently I noticed a tree in my backyard that has started to lean, making me wonder what criteria I should be following with regards to whether or not it needs to be removed. I appreciate you mentioning the importance of looking for Fungi growing around the trunk and branches falling during times of little wind. Thanks for helping me to better understand what signs to look for before calling a tree removal service.
Thanks for explaining when a tree should be removed. I’m glad you mentioned that you should see if a tree is shedding a lot of branches. Maybe it could be good to count how many branches are shed so you can compare to what a normal amount would be.
I liked that you pointed out that if I see signs of decay I should get the tree removed. The house I just bought has a lot of trees around it. It seems like I should look and see if any of them need to be removed.
Thanks for pointing out how a tree should be removed if it constantly sheds a lot of branches during strong winds. I have three toddlers running around our yard all day long, and I want them to be as safe as possible while playing. I will be sure to call on a tree removal company should the tree in our yard act up.
Some fungi have been starting to grow around the trunk which you said might be a sign I should have the tree removed. I have noticed that the tree has not budded for six months already as you pointed out, which might actually indicate that it’s unhealthy now. There has been some decay on some parts of it that you mentioned should make me call a tree removal service to take a look at it and remove it if needed.
It’s a very informative article about when we should remove a tree. I was not familiar with the bacterial infection that leaves a red and yellow line around the leaves that look scorched. It is really helpful to know that insects do this scorching in tree leaves. In the future, I will take care of this issue for my tree care services. It is also helpful to know about trees various health-related issues.
I was not aware that if fungi are growing around the base of the tree, you may need to call a professional to remove it. My husband and I moved to another house, and we noticed that one of the trees in our backyard looks damaged. I will call a tree service company to help us decide if we need to remove it.
It is really nice information to remove a tree and get a proper tree service
I wasn’t aware that fungi growing around your tree could be a sign it needs to be removed since it could indicate disease. My husband and I have a few trees we need to remove for aesthetic reasons and I think we may need some removed since they might be sick. I think we should contact a professional tree removal company that can help us figure out which ones might need to be removed.
Hi Charlotte. Thanks for reading. I think that’s a good idea.
It’s so beneficial to know that mushrooms and mold growing on the trees isn’t bad unless it’s around the foundation of the trunk. My neighbor two houses down has a beautiful, Florida maple tree in his backyard. He noticed some fungi growing on the bottom of it, so I’ll let him know he might need to find a tree removal service.
Thanks for listing the signs that a tree must be removed. I noticed that the tree beside the house isn’t budding where in fact it’s supposed to be budding in this season. Perhaps, I’ll wait for a couple of weeks and wait for the results. If it continues to stay as it is, I’ll follow your advice to have it removed since you mentioned that it could have an underlying health issue.
As a landscaper telling a client that they should get a tree removed when they don’t believe you, this is a great article to keep in your arsenal. I’m not an arborist or a tree service expert at all, but I do provide landscaping services in the summer for the guys at [link removed by Admin] and next time a client doesn’t believe me I’ll whip this article out. After all, we’re only trying to help people here, and this is a way we can prevent widow makers from knocking down roofs. Love it!
Thank you for bringing up how trees with consistently falling branches need to be removed. It’s been quite dangerous for us to walk by the neighborhood park ever since we noticed that the tree along the sidewalk has started shedding and cracking its branches more often. This could potentially hurt someone, so to be extra safe, I’ll see if I can get some help in calling a tree service to have it removed.
Our local government started to cut down trees that hinder the sidewalk but the neighborhood was a bit alarmed since environmental concerns were addressed. However, for me it was a good call for some of the trees because they might have been infected by a bacterial infection which I found out here was called leaf scorch and from that insects easily spread, and it is really recommended to remove the tree. but I think they didn’t do a good job in cutting them down because I’m left with this huge tree stump that I might need to have ground out soon.