Is your tree dying? A Charlotte arborist explains signs to look for, when to remove it

Concerned residents near a NoDa neighborhood noticed that a nearly 100-year-old tree had been taken down last week.

Although it might have been believed to be a result of nearby development at first, the tree was actually found to have “excessive decay,” arbor experts confirmed.

The assessment eventually led to the tree’s removal.

Dead or decaying trees in your own yard can be a nuisance with shedding limbs, peeling bark and barren branches.

It can be tempting to take care of the problem yourself with a chainsaw or an ax, but cutting down a tree is dangerous.

How to know if that tree in your yard needs removal

Patrick George, the founder of Heartwood Tree Service in Charlotte, said that between fall and late spring can be a tricky time to tell if a tree is ready for removal. Various species react to weather differently this time of year, George told The Charlotte Observer.

“Poplars drop their leaves early in the fall and may skip changing colors due to lack of rain or leaf miner infestation. Same for several types of Hickory,” the certified arborist said. “Sugar maples grown in northern nurseries or the stock developed from them may not show any leaf growth in the spring right up until the middle of June based on their heritage of being from a different climate.”

While there aren’t any distinct telltale signs that arborists would use to “condemn” a tree without an in-person examination, there are a few signs that might catch the attention of a professional, George explained.

“From a more general perspective, if a tree is barren of foliage in July or early August or it’s dropping larger limbs from the top of the tree, then you know you’ve got problems,” George said.

Having an arborist examine the state of a tree can save a lot of trouble down the road, George explained. Especially if that tree were to fall on its own.

“We have a saying that every tree is going to fall, period,” George said. “Our goal is to take it down under process rather than as a result of bad weather, which can actually cause a tree that’s leaning one way to fall in the other direction due to wind speed.”

Should you ‘fell’ a tree on your own?

“Felling” a tree takes more than just cutting it down, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration states. The task requires a sufficient amount of skill as logging professionals eliminate hazards and strategically cut the tree in a way that guides it to fall in a specific direction.

Over 100 people are killed by felled trees each year. More people die, OSHA data indicated, of injuries sustained from felling than any other logging activity.

Arborists in the Charlotte area encourage residents to look for signs of dead trees and call a professional to take care of them..