I’m scared of the big tree by my house
Is my tree safe?
It was a dark and stormy night, and you were laying awake listening to the big tree next to your house creak and groan as the wind pushed the tree around. There would be frequent thunks on the roof as small branches broke out of the crown, each one causing you to wince in anticipation of a larger impact.
Thoughts were racing through your mind: is my tree safe? What if it falls on the house? How strong is my roof? Flashes of news articles of deaths caused by trees falling on someone’s house popped into your mind. Maybe you could be next?
The next morning, the weather is calm and bright, and you poke your head outside to see your yard is littered with debris from the neighbourhood trees. You grumble to yourself about the clean-up you’ll have to do, trying to figure out when you’ll fit that into your busy schedule. As you go about your day, worry about the tree keeps simmering in your mind.
If you’re reading this and you live in the Pacific Northwest, I invite you to take a moment to picture what you like best about it. Do any of the images that pop in your head contain trees? Certainly our large coniferous trees are a part of what makes this section of the world so beautiful. If you didn’t grow up here, maybe they’re part of what drew you to live here. That’s all well and good until you’re living next to a 100’ tall tree that moves and creaks dramatically anytime the wind blows and tends to drop large branches in wind storms. Well I have some good news and bad news for you. Bad news: living next to trees involves accepting some level of risk. Good news: you can take steps to assess and mitigate any potential risks to a level you are more comfortable with.
I grew up with two massive Douglas-firs in our front yard, and my parents made the family sleep in our basement when there were big storms. Later on, we lived in a house surrounded by at least a dozen large coniferous trees, and I spent countless hours cleaning up after them. In my experience working as a municipal arborist, I talked to dozens of people who applied for tree cutting permits for healthy, strong trees because they were absolutely terrified of them. I would explain that trees native to the PNW have evolved to withstand our windstorms and that swaying in the wind is a good sign, but I can imagine if you didn’t grow up with such large trees little I say could make you comfortable with how much they move. Hopefully learning more about what is normal and what is cause for concern will ease your mind somewhat.
First of all: trees are biological beings that vary between individuals, just like us. They are prone to internal health and structural issues that are difficult to assess without advanced equipment, just like us. Unfortunately there is no universal health care for our trees, and advanced assessments are expensive so they don’t happen often. Thankfully, trees are also amazingly strong and capable of adapting to lots of challenging situations. That being said, a trained eye can catch most serious issues by looking at external clues.
What is normal:
The top of the tree moving and even bending slightly in the wind - just like us, flexibility prevents them from injury.
Trees that lean, so long as the top of the tree is straight and there are no structural issues with the trunk and/or roots.
Trees that have more branches where they have the most access to light, and few where they are shaded out.
Creaking and groaning in the wind.
Dropping branches in wind storms, especially for large trees like Douglas-firs.
What are potential causes for concern that warrant further investigation:
Fungi growing out of the trunk or roots.
Construction or grade changes near the tree at any point in its life.
Visible decay and large dead branches.
Over-extended branches or significantly imbalanced crowns.
Tall, narrow trees, especially if the base of their crown is very high.
Changes in site factors such as removal of neighbouring trees.
Cracks anywhere in the tree.
Oozing from the trunk.
Deformities such as girdling roots, bulges, sunken areas.
History of improper pruning or large branch failures.
Mechanical damage to the trunk at any point of the trees life.
Being planted too deep (you should be able to locate the root flare, the area where the trunk curves to join the roots).
Signs your tree is close to failure (stay far away if you observe these):
Sudden changes in trunk lean.
Loud cracking sounds coming from the trunk or large limbs as they move.
The soil around the base of the tree heaving.
Visible cracks in the trunk or large limbs.
Failure of large limbs that peel out of the trunk and leave a large wound.
Steps can you take to make sure your tree is safe:
Pay attention to your tree, get to know it, take pictures of it regularly and in different seasons. That way you are more likely to notice if something has changed that might need to get checked out.
Only hire qualified people to prune your trees. There is a lot to consider when pruning trees, and improper pruning can create hazardous conditions down the road. Ideally, people pruning trees should be both ISA Certified and have their TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) (or be under supervision of someone who has these). They should also be fully insured in case something goes wrong.
Hire a consulting arborist to complete a basic visual assessment of your tree(s). This isn’t just here to drum up business (though I would sincerely love to come assess your tree), ultimately, only arborists experienced in tree risk assessment can help you make informed tree management decisions.
In summary, we have to accept some level of risk if we want the many benefits that trees offer us (look out for future blog posts on this). Paying attention to our trees and looking out for potential defects is a good first step to determining if they might be hazardous, but if you’re still unsure, hiring a consulting arborist can help give you peace of mind.
Contact Branching Out at 778-238-3178 or krisanna@branchingoutenviro.com if you would like to learn more about our tree risk assessment service.
