Nobody wants to lose a tree. Especially not a big one that’s been shading the back deck for thirty years or framing the view out the kitchen window. But a tree that’s failing doesn’t care about any of that. When the conditions are right — a wet spring, a summer thunderstorm, an ice storm in November — it comes down on its own schedule.
The good news is that most failing trees give warnings. You just have to know what to look for.
Here are the five signs I look for on every property walk in Northern Michigan. If you’re seeing any of these, it’s time to call someone — sooner, not later.
- A Lean That’s Getting Worse
Some trees grow with a natural lean and have done so for decades without issue. That’s not what we’re talking about. The warning sign is a lean that has developed or worsened recently — one that wasn’t there (or wasn’t as pronounced) a year or two ago.
A new or accelerating lean almost always means one of two things: root failure or structural rot. Either the root system on one side is losing its grip in the soil, or there’s decay in the trunk that’s allowing the tree to shift under its own weight. Both are serious.
To check: look at the base. Is the soil on one side heaving up or pulling away? That’s a root ball lifting — and the tree is on its way over. If that’s pointing toward your house, don’t wait. - Mushrooms or Conks on the Trunk or at the Base
Fungi growing on a tree is not a cosmetic problem. It’s a biological indicator that something is rotting inside.
Conks — the shelf-like bracket fungi that grow directly out of bark — indicate advanced internal decay. They’re the fruiting body of a fungus that has already been working through the wood for years. By the time you can see the conk on the outside, the decay inside is often extensive.
Mushrooms growing at the base of a tree, clustered around the root flare, point to root rot. The roots are what anchor the tree. When they’re compromised, the whole thing becomes unpredictable.
Neither of these is automatically a death sentence for the tree, but both require a qualified eye to assess. If you’re seeing mushrooms or conks on a tree near your house, get someone out to look at it. - Large Dead Limbs in the Upper Canopy
Dead limbs are sometimes called widow-makers — a name that came from logging camps, where falling dead wood was one of the most common causes of injury. The name still applies.
A dead limb doesn’t fall on a predictable schedule. It can hang in the canopy for years, shedding bark and losing wood strength slowly, and then drop in a windstorm, an ice event, or on a perfectly calm day when the last connection finally gives way.
Look up into the canopy in late spring and summer. The dead sections will be obvious — no leaves, bare branches, sometimes bark hanging loose. A single dead branch high up isn’t always an emergency. A crown that’s 30–40% dead is. And if those dead limbs are over your roof, your car, your kids’ swing set, or anywhere people spend time — act on it. - Cracks, Cavities, or Loose Bark on the Main Trunk
The trunk is the structural spine of the tree. Any significant defect in the trunk is a structural defect in the whole tree.
Vertical cracks that run along the grain of the trunk can indicate lightning damage, freeze-thaw stress, or internal decay spreading outward. Long, deep cracks need to be assessed — not every crack is catastrophic, but some are.
Cavities — holes in the trunk where the wood has hollowed out — are more concerning. Wood that’s already gone can’t support load. If the cavity is large relative to the trunk diameter, the remaining shell of wood may not be strong enough to hold the tree upright in a storm.
Loose or peeling bark on its own isn’t always serious. But if it’s combined with discoloration, soft wood underneath, or a sour smell (indicating wet rot), that’s a problem. - A Full Section of the Canopy With No Leaves in Summer
Walk out in June or July and look at your trees. Every branch in a healthy tree should be leafed out. If there’s a section — a branch, a limb, or an entire side of the canopy — that has no leaves while the rest of the tree is full, something is wrong.
This is called a dead crown section, and it can be caused by root damage, vascular disease, or structural injury that has cut off water and nutrient flow to part of the tree. The dead section creates two problems: it adds weight of dry, brittle wood in an unstable position, and it signals that the underlying cause is often spreading.
Oak wilt — a fungal disease that blocks a tree’s vascular system — is exactly what this looks like in an oak. One year you lose a section, and if left untreated, the whole tree can be gone within a season or two. Other species have their own versions of this pattern.
When in Doubt, Get Eyes on It
The five signs above are the most common ones I see on property walks, but they’re not the only things that can compromise a tree’s structural integrity. Root damage from excavation, lightning strikes, soil compaction from heavy equipment, and insect damage can all weaken a tree without obvious visual signs.
If you’ve got a tree that’s making you nervous — even if you can’t point to a specific reason why — trust that instinct and get someone out to look at it. The cost of a professional assessment is nothing compared to the cost of a tree through your roof.
We do free on-site estimates across Gaylord, Mancelona, Kalkaska, Elmira, Boyne Falls, and every dirt road in between.
Call Mike at 989.858.1068. We usually get out within the week — same day for emergencies.
