5 signs your tree might be dangerous

Trees rarely fail without warning. Learning to spot the early signs can protect your family and your property, and often means a tree can be saved with the right work rather than removed. Here are the five signs we take most seriously, and what each one actually means.

1. Dead or hanging limbs

Deadwood is the most common failure and the easiest to spot: leafless grey branches in an otherwise green canopy, bark falling off limbs, or a branch that's cracked and hung up in the crown (climbers call these widow-makers for a reason). Dead limbs don't need a storm to fall, just time. If there's one over anywhere people walk or park, treat it as a now job.

2. Cracks and weak forks

Look where big limbs meet the trunk. A tight V-shaped fork with bark squeezed inside the joint is structurally weak, and a visible crack or split at a union is a failure part-way through happening. Gums with long horizontal limbs and tight unions are the classic combination we're called to after storms.

3. Fungus and mushrooms at the base

Mushrooms, shelf-like brackets on the trunk, or fungus around the root flare can signal decay in the wood that holds the whole tree up. Not every fungus is a death sentence, some live on trees for decades, but decay at the base is invisible from outside and it's exactly where a tree can least afford it. This one always deserves a professional look.

4. A lean that's new, or soil that's moving

Plenty of healthy trees lean, and a tree that has always leaned is usually fine. What matters is change: a lean that's increased, soil cracking or mounding on the side away from the lean, or roots lifting. That's the root plate letting go, and it's the most urgent sign on this list, especially after heavy rain when the ground is soft. Keep people away from the fall zone and call the same day.

5. Bark and trunk damage

Large sections of missing bark, deep vertical cracks in the trunk, hollows, or sawdust-like frass from borers all point to a compromised trunk. So does a sudden thinning canopy, dieback from the tips, or leaves browning out of season. The tree is telling you its transport system or its structure is in trouble.

What to do with what you've spotted

One sign warrants a look; two or more on the same tree warrant it quickly. Take photos, keep people and cars out from underneath, and don't let anyone talk you into climbing it with hardware-store gear. An assessment tells you which of three buckets the tree is in: prune and keep, monitor, or remove. Most trees on this list end up in the first two.

If you've noticed any of these on your property, get it assessed before the next big blow. We assess as part of every free quote across the Redlands and Greater Brisbane, and we'll give you a straight answer on whether it's a prune, a watch-and-wait, or a removal.