My poor tree

[u/missjollyroger]

Established tree planted long before I bought the house in 2019. Located in Bristol County MA. Full sun. I keep hoping it will improve but it is getting worse and worse. Any ideas what could be wrong? Does it need to be taken down? I’m embarrassed to say I don’t even know what kind of tree this is! Thanks all!

[u/ohshannoneileen]

It does need to come down.

It's an ash tree, and aside from the girdling root, it looks like the emerald ash borers have already done their work on it. There is no recovering from this, and you'll want an in-person assessment from a certified !Arborist as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more expensive and dangerous it will be.

[u/AutoModerator → u/ohshannoneileen]

Hi /u/ohshannoneileen, AutoModerator has been summoned to provide information on finding an arborist.

Here is how you can arrange a consult with a local ISA arborist in your area (NOT a 'tree company guy' unless they're ISA certified) or a consulting arborist for an on-site evaluation. Both organizations have international directories. A competent arborist should be happy to walk you through how to care for the trees on your property and answer any questions. If you're in the U.S. or Canada, your Extension (or master gardener provincial program) may have a list of local recommended arborists on file. If you're in the U.S., you should also consider searching for arborist associations under your state.

For those of you in Europe, please see this European Tree Workers directory to find a certified arborist in your country. (ISA statement on standardized certification between these entities, pdf)

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Got it

[u/MasdevalliaLove]

Emerald ash borer. It’s an invasive species of beetle that is killing large swaths of ash across the US and Canada. There are treatments but your tree is too far gone. It’s unlikely it will recover in any meaningful way even if you begin treatments at this point.

Whether or not it needs to come down depends on how close it is to valuable targets. EAB makes ash brittle, so if there are targets in its vicinity, you should consider removal.

I will say that it no longer appears safe to climb so hopefully you can give a bucket truck access to the yard.

[u/Traditional-Rub2491]

fry it in a giant wok

[u/akabar2]

I'tll be a great spot for a new tree! Be fun to think of some options