Is my tree dangerous? Warning signs for Tallahassee yards

Short answer: a tree is a real worry when it has a defect and something to hit: your house, a driveway, a power line, a road or a spot where people sit. UF/IFAS Extension lists seven defects any homeowner can spot: dead branches, broken or hanging branches, V-shaped double trunks, decay, cavities, leans and root problems. In Tallahassee, the species matter too. UF/Leon County Extension saw many water oaks, laurel oaks and pines fall in recent storms, and very few live oaks or southern magnolias. (UF/IFAS EP507; UF/Leon County Extension, 2017)

Tallahassee Tree Match is a free matching service, not a tree company or an arborist. This page is general information from UF/IFAS and other public sources. It can’t replace an onsite look by an ISA-certified arborist.

Step 1: what could it hit?

UF/Leon County Extension puts it plainly: to be considered hazardous, a tree must have a likely target if it falls. A dead pine at the back of a wooded lot is a different problem from a hollow water oak over a bedroom. Walk around each big tree and note what is inside the distance of its height: the house, the garage, parked cars, the fence, the street, and the electric line to your house. (UF/Leon County Extension)

It is also your job, not the City’s. UF/IFAS says it is a landowner’s responsibility to make sure the trees on their property are safe, and Leon County Extension notes that trees on the edges of private property near power lines are the owner’s responsibility. (UF/IFAS EP507) If a tree or limb is already on or touching a wire, stay away from it and see who to call about trees on power lines.

Step 2: the 7 warning signs UF/IFAS tells homeowners to look for

Dead branches. Loose or missing bark, no leaves or buds, a stubby look as small twigs break off. They will come down eventually, sometimes in calm weather. Big dead limbs high in the crown are the most dangerous because they fall fastest.
Broken or hanging branches. These are already failing. UF/IFAS says dropping them is “just a matter of time” and can happen on a calm day. Keep people and cars out from under them.
V-shaped double trunks (codominant stems). Two stems of similar size from the same point, especially with a tight V and a seam of bark pressed between them (included bark), are more likely to split in storms than a wide U-shaped union. An arborist can often reduce this risk with pruning or a cable.
Decay. Fungal conks or mushrooms on the trunk or roots, carpenter ants and animal nest holes are visible signs. Decay inside the trunk is hard to judge from outside, so this one needs an arborist.
Cavities. Holes from old injuries or pruning cuts let decay in. A trunk can also be hollow with no opening low down. Check for wildlife or insects before you poke around.
Leans. An old lean, with a swollen lower trunk and branches that curve upward toward the light, means the tree has adapted. A lean that appeared quickly, for example after a storm, means partial root failure. UF/IFAS says a lean that keeps getting worse or soil that heaves up at the base is high risk and needs an arborist right away.
Root problems. Thinning or dieback in the top of the crown, swelling or cavities at the base, mushrooms around the base, cut or broken root stubs, and a buried trunk with no visible root flare. Roots that circle the trunk can girdle it and weaken the base.

Source: UF/IFAS EP507, “Is my tree safe?”

Cracks in the trunk

UF/IFAS Extension in Duval County adds that any vertical crack that goes into the wood is a warning sign of structural problems, and a horizontal crack is a sign of imminent trunk failure. (UF/IFAS Extension Duval County)

Other red flags from UF/IFAS hurricane research

Topped trees break.
Large pruning cuts lead to decay and cracks that can cause breakage in storms.
Trees that have failed before are likely to fail again.
Single trees blow down more often than trees in a group, and trees on recently cleared lots were very susceptible. If neighbors just took down the trees around yours, look again.

Sources: UF/IFAS Trees and Hurricanes, Evaluating Hazards

Which trees fail most in Tallahassee-area storms

UF/IFAS measured more than 18,000 urban trees after Florida hurricanes, including four that hit the Florida Panhandle: Erin, Opal, Ivan and Dennis. Here is the share of each species still standing after Hurricane Ivan (2004, about 130 mph at landfall) for trees common in Tallahassee yards:

Tree	Still standing after Ivan	UF/IFAS wind-resistance group
Sand live oak	99%	Highest
American holly	95%	Highest
Southern magnolia	92%	Highest
Live oak	91%	Highest
Sweetgum	86%	Medium-high
Laurel oak	77%	Lowest
Pecan	76%	Lowest
Water oak	72%	Lowest
Slash pine	72%	Medium-low
Loblolly pine	66%	Medium-low
Southern red oak	60%	Lowest
Longleaf pine	59%	Medium-low
Spruce pine	46%	Lowest
Tulip poplar	24%	Lowest

When UF/IFAS also counted standing trees that lost half or more of their branches as lost, the oak ranking after Ivan was sand live oak 98%, live oak 81%, laurel oak 66%, water oak 65% and southern red oak 50%. Across four Panhandle hurricanes, laurel oak survived significantly worse than live oak and sand live oak. Bigger trees lost more branches than smaller ones. UF/IFAS also warns that no species and no tree is windproof, and that soil, age, health and care all matter. (UF/IFAS FR174, Selecting Coastal Plain Species for Wind Resistance)

Laurel oaks: why they get extra attention

UF/IFAS gives laurel oak a life span of 50 to 70 years and says its trunks and large branches often hollow from decay, sometimes in columns 10 to 20 feet long or more, starting from a small injury or a bad pruning cut. (UF/IFAS ST549, Laurel Oak) In a study of street oaks in Tampa that were tested with a decay-detecting drill, 67.4% of the laurel oaks had some decay, compared with 29.4% of the live oaks. (Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 2016)

If laurel oaks in your yard are dying back, a 2022 Tallahassee Democrat column points to the eastern horned gall wasp, which has been killing laurel oaks on dry, sandy sites in Leon and Wakulla counties. A declining laurel oak near a house is worth an arborist’s look. (Tallahassee Democrat, 2022)

What usually isn’t an emergency

Bare branches in winter. Many Florida trees drop their leaves for part of the year, so leaves alone don’t tell you a tree is dead. (UF/IFAS)
An old, stable lean with a thickened lower trunk and branches curving upward, and no new cracks or soil movement.
A defect with nothing under it. Sometimes the fix is moving the bench, the car or the play set. UF/IFAS lists moving the target as one way arborists reduce risk.

Today, soon, or at the next check?

Today: a new or worsening lean, soil heaving or cracking at the base, a split or horizontal crack in the trunk, a hanging limb over a roof, driveway or walkway, or anything touching a power line. Keep people away. For wires, call the utility, not a tree crew.
Within a few weeks, and before hurricane season: big dead limbs over a target, conks or mushrooms on the trunk or roots, a cavity, a tight V-shaped double trunk on a large tree near the house, or crown dieback.
At your next yearly walk-around: small dead twigs, old stable leans, and trees with nothing to hit.

What an arborist visit gets you

UF/IFAS says there are no definitive rules that separate sound trees from unsound ones, which is why the call on a borderline tree belongs to an arborist experienced in tree risk assessment. They weigh the species, the site and the defects, and they can recommend options short of removal, such as taking out one limb, corrective pruning or cabling. In some cases removal is the only way to reduce the risk. (UF/IFAS EP507)

The paperwork can matter too. Under Fla. Stat. 163.045, if an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida-licensed landscape architect documents, after an onsite assessment to the ISA tree risk assessment standard, that a tree on your residential property is an unacceptable risk, the City or County can’t require a permit to remove it. Verify an ISA certification before you rely on it. Details are in our Tallahassee tree permit guide, and our guide to choosing a tree service covers insurance and quotes. (Fla. Stat. 163.045)

A 10-minute walk-around

Stand back and look at the whole tree. Is it leaning? Is the lean new? Is the top thin or dying back?
Look at what is within one tree-height: house, cars, fence, street, power lines.
Scan the crown for dead or hanging limbs, especially high ones over a target.
Look at the main forks for tight V-shapes with a seam of bark.
Walk around the trunk for cracks, cavities, conks and mushrooms.
Check the base: is the root flare visible? Any broken roots, circling roots, mushrooms or raised soil?
Note the species. A water oak, laurel oak or large pine with any of the above, near a target, is the first one to have checked.
Take photos and date them, so you can see if a lean or crack changes. Photos also help with an insurance claim if the tree comes down.

Questions

How do I know if a tree is about to fall?

UF/IFAS Extension treats a lean that formed quickly, for example after a storm, as a sign of partial root failure that needs immediate attention, especially if the lean keeps increasing or the soil is heaving up around the base. Hanging or broken branches can drop at any time, even in calm weather. A horizontal crack in the trunk is a sign of imminent trunk failure. Keep people and cars away and get an ISA-certified arborist out.

Are water oaks and laurel oaks dangerous in Tallahassee?

Not automatically, but they are the oaks to watch. In UF/IFAS hurricane studies, laurel oak survived significantly worse than live oak and sand live oak in four Panhandle hurricanes, and both laurel and water oak are on UF/IFAS’s lowest wind-resistance list. UF/Leon County Extension saw a lot of water oaks, laurel oaks and pines fall in recent Tallahassee storms, and very few live oaks or southern magnolias. A healthy one far from the house is a different matter from an old, hollow one leaning over the roof.

Are pine trees safe near my house in Tallahassee?

Loblolly, slash and longleaf pines are rated medium-low for wind resistance by UF/IFAS, and spruce pine and sand pine are rated lowest. In Hurricane Ivan, 66% of loblolly, 72% of slash and 59% of longleaf pines in the study were still standing. Height, lean, root damage and what the tree could hit matter more than the species alone.

My tree is losing leaves. Is it dead?

Not necessarily. UF/IFAS notes that many Florida trees naturally drop their leaves for part of the year, so leaves alone don’t tell you whether a tree is alive. Look for dead branches with loose bark and no buds, and for thinning or dieback in the top of the crown, which can point to root problems.

Does a dangerous tree have to be removed?

Not always. Depending on the defect, an arborist may suggest removing just the bad limb, corrective pruning or a cable system for weak V-shaped unions, or simply moving what the tree could hit. Sometimes removal is the only way to reduce the risk. If an arborist documents that a tree on your residential property is an unacceptable risk, Florida law (s. 163.045) says the City or County can’t require a permit to remove it.

Who is responsible for a dangerous tree on my property?

UF/IFAS Extension says it is the landowner’s responsibility to make sure the trees on their property are safe, and UF/Leon County Extension points out that trees on the edges of private property near power lines are the owner’s responsibility too. For who pays when a tree falls, see our insurance guide.

Want a local pro to look at it?

Get matched free with one Tallahassee-area tree service. Tell us what you’re seeing, and ask them whether an ISA-certified arborist will assess it. Run the checks in our hiring guide on anyone you hire, including the pro we match you with.

Get matched free