5 Signs Your Trees Need Professional Attention

Your trees are some of the most valuable things on your property. A healthy mature tree can add thousands of dollars to your home's value. But when something goes wrong, that same tree can become a serious safety risk. The tricky part is that most homeowners do not know what to look for until it is too late.

The good news is that trees almost always give warning signs before they fail. You just need to know where to look. Purdue Extension's tree risk management guide (FNR-475-W) puts it simply: tree owners have a responsibility to inspect their trees on a regular basis. You do not need to be an expert. You just need to walk your property with open eyes.

Here are five warning signs that mean your tree needs a closer look from a professional.

1. Dead Branches in the Canopy

This is the most common sign and the easiest to spot. Look up into your tree's canopy. Do you see branches with no leaves while the rest of the tree is green? Those are dead branches, and arborists call them deadwood.

Dead branches are unpredictable. Unlike a healthy branch that bends in the wind, a dead branch is brittle. It can snap and fall on a calm day without any warning. The USDA Forest Service publication "How to Recognize Hazardous Defects in Trees" lists deadwood as the number one defect to watch for because it is so common and so dangerous.

A few small dead twigs are normal. Trees shed small branches all the time. But if you see dead branches thicker than your wrist, or if an entire section of the canopy looks thin and bare, that points to a bigger problem. It could mean root damage, disease, or decay inside the trunk that you cannot see from the ground.

We see this across Fort Wayne and Marion every spring. Winter storms snap weakened branches, and by April you can clearly see which parts of the canopy did not leaf out. If you notice large deadwood overhead, do not try to remove it yourself. Branches up high are heavy, unpredictable, and dangerous to cut without the right training and equipment. This is a job where professional tools and experience make a real difference.

2. Cracks in the Trunk

Take a walk around the base of your tree and look at the trunk from all sides. Cracks in the trunk are a serious warning sign. Purdue Extension's tree defect identification guide (FNR-614-W) lists cracks as one of the key defects to watch for during any tree inspection.

Not every crack means your tree is about to fail. Trees develop frost cracks during cold Indiana winters when the bark contracts faster than the wood underneath. These vertical splits often heal on their own over time. You will see a raised ridge of bark along the crack where the tree has tried to close the wound.

The cracks you should worry about are:

Deep cracks that go into the wood. If you can see into the trunk through the crack, the tree's structure is compromised.

Cracks with decay behind them. Soft, crumbly, or discolored wood inside a crack means rot has set in.

Two or more cracks on the same trunk. Multiple cracks weaken the trunk from different angles, making failure much more likely.

Cracks where a branch meets the trunk. This often points to a weak branch union. The USDA Forest Service identifies weak unions as their own category of tree defect, separate from cracks.

If you are not sure whether a crack is something to worry about, give us a call at either our Fort Wayne or Marion office. Some cracks are harmless. Others need immediate attention. It takes a trained eye to tell the difference.

3. Mushrooms or Fungus Growing on the Tree

If you see mushrooms growing at the base of your tree or bracket-shaped fungus sticking out of the trunk, pay attention. These are the fruiting bodies of fungi that are feeding on your tree's wood. By the time you can see them on the outside, the decay inside is usually well advanced.

Purdue Extension's tree defect identification resources explain that fungal fruiting bodies are a strong indicator of internal decay. The wood inside the tree may be soft, hollow, or structurally weakened even though the outside looks normal. This is what makes fungal decay so dangerous. The tree can look fine from a distance but be rotting from the inside out.

Some common decay fungi you might see on trees in northeast Indiana include:

Ganoderma (artist's conk). A hard, shelf-like growth usually found near the base. It causes white rot in roots and the lower trunk, which is especially dangerous because it weakens the tree's anchor in the ground.

Laetiporus (chicken of the woods). A bright orange and yellow shelf fungus. It causes brown rot, which makes wood brittle and prone to sudden failure.

Armillaria (honey fungus). Clusters of honey-colored mushrooms at the base in fall. This fungus attacks roots and can kill trees that are already stressed.

The International Society of Arboriculture's "Recognizing Tree Risk" guide confirms that visible fungal growth is one of the clearest signals to get a professional assessment. Do not just remove the mushrooms and assume the problem is solved. The mushrooms are the visible part. The real issue is the decay happening inside the wood.

4. A Lean That Was Not There Before

Many trees grow with a natural lean. That is normal and usually not a problem. The tree has spent years building wood to support itself at that angle. What you should watch for is a lean that is new or getting worse.

A sudden lean often means something has gone wrong underground. The roots on one side may have broken, rotted, or lost their grip in saturated soil. The USDA Forest Service guide on hazardous tree defects identifies root problems as one of the seven major categories of tree failure. When roots fail, the whole tree can come down.

Here is what to look for around a leaning tree:

Soil heaving on one side. If the ground on the side opposite the lean is cracked or pushed up, the roots are pulling out of the soil. This is an emergency.

A lean that appeared after a storm. Strong winds can partially uproot a tree without knocking it all the way down. It may look stable, but the root system is compromised.

A lean toward a target. Arborists use the word "target" to describe anything the tree could hit if it falls: your house, your driveway, your neighbor's fence, a power line. A leaning tree over an empty field is much less urgent than one leaning toward your bedroom.

If you notice a new lean, especially after a storm, do not wait. This is a situation where professional equipment and experience make a real difference. We handle these calls regularly at both our Fort Wayne and Marion locations.

5. Root Problems You Can See

Roots do most of their work underground, so problems can go unnoticed for a long time. But there are visible clues if you know where to look. Purdue Extension's risk management guide (FNR-475-W) lists exposed or damaged roots, heaving soil, fungal growth near the base, and cracks in the soil around the root plate as signs of trouble below ground.

Watch for these:

Severed roots from construction or digging. Purdue Extension's publication on mechanical damage to trees (FNR-492-W) explains that cutting roots during construction, trenching, or utility work is one of the most common causes of tree decline and failure. The effects may not show up for two to five years after the damage happens.

Decay at the root flare. The root flare is where the trunk widens at the base and transitions into the roots. If this area is soft, spongy, or shows visible rot, the tree's foundation is compromised.

Soil pulling away from the trunk. A gap between the soil and the base of the tree means the roots have shifted or broken.

No visible root flare at all. If your tree's trunk goes straight into the ground like a telephone pole, the roots may have been buried too deep when the tree was planted. This leads to girdling roots that slowly strangle the trunk over time.

Root problems are especially tricky because you cannot see what is happening underground. This is one area where a certified arborist's training really pays off. They know how to assess root health without digging up your yard.

What Should You Do Next?

First, do not panic. A warning sign does not mean your tree is going to fall tomorrow. But it does mean you should not ignore it.

Purdue Extension recommends that homeowners inspect their trees at least once a year, and after every major storm. Walk around each tree. Look up into the canopy. Look at the trunk from all sides. Check the ground around the base. If something looks different from last year, take note.

The International Society of Arboriculture maintains a directory of ISA Certified Arborists at treesaregood.org. An ISA Certified Arborist has passed a comprehensive exam covering tree biology, diagnosis, maintenance, and safety. Some arborists also hold a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ), which means they have specialized training in evaluating whether a tree is safe.

At Signature Lawn & Treemasters, our tree care team works with homeowners across Fort Wayne and Marion to evaluate problem trees and recommend the right course of action. Sometimes that means pruning out deadwood. Sometimes it means monitoring a crack over time. And sometimes, when a tree is too far gone, it means safe removal before it becomes an emergency.

The one thing you should not do is nothing. Trees do not fix themselves. A dead branch will not grow back. A crack will not close on its own. And decay only moves in one direction. The earlier you catch a problem, the more options you have and the less it costs to deal with.