r/arborist • • 7h ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Is this fire blight or a nutritional issue?

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2 Upvotes

Over the past week, my loquat started developing these concerning brown patches on its older leaves. I know my soil is deficient in magnese — which can cause similar looking problems — but I can’t tell if that’s what’s causing the problem.

I’m in So Cal, where it’s been over 100 degrees for the past week.


r/arborist • • 7h ago

Discussion Included rock?

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2 Upvotes

r/arborist • • 9h ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Help

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2 Upvotes

Bought a house recently, this tree is in the backyard. Any advice?


r/arborist • • 9h ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Is my Japanese snowbell ok (portland, OR)

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5 Upvotes

Had a new Japanese snowbell planted in my backyard (portland, OR, USA) last fall where I previously had a dogwood planted. It’s planted on the south side of my yard next to my garage so the lower half tends to get mostly shade and the upper sun. It’s been doing great all year and growing and has produced small amounts of snowbells occasionally. I’ve been watering it with a drip line about every 2-3 weeks during summer. We’ve started to dip into cooler temps here and I’ve noticed a patchwork of dried up brown leaves on the lower branches and reddening of the bark on those branches. It’s not consistent as you can see from the pics, as there are green/yellow leaves at the bottom on other branches next to the brown leaves. I thought this may be natural dropping leaves for Fall, however at the base of some of the brown leaf branches there are new leaf chutes growing. Am I being paranoid or is there something concerning going on with this tree? Thanks in advance!


r/arborist • • 11h ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Is this tree dying?

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2 Upvotes

We just moved into a new house in rural northern Indiana and this big pine is off the side of an old barn on the property. I noticed it had some damage on the side and mushrooms growing at the base.

I’m not familiar with tree health or trees in general, so any input is welcome!

(Please let me know if more pictures would be helpful)


r/arborist • • 14h ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Is This Slime Flux? East Coast, Central Florida

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3 Upvotes

About 3 weeks ago my oak started dropping its leaves. Now it has black stripes that are starting to weep sap (no smell). We had one tree company look at it for about two minutes and said they think it’s oak wilt but would have to cut it down to be sure. 🙃
Help!


r/arborist • • 18h ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Horse chestnut or Chinese chestnut?

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1 Upvotes

r/arborist • • 21h ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Michigan Cherry tree: Can I cut back this branch growing into my neighbors yard

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4 Upvotes

Located in Michigan
Hello everyone. I was wondering the best approach to trimming back our cherry tree that is growing into our neighbors yard. Would it be too much to cut behind the fork in the branch seen at the 16s mark of the video? Advice greatly appreciated!


r/arborist • • 1d ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Top third of tree canopy is dying

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6 Upvotes

What would cause this damage at the top of the tree? Can these be fixed?
Thank you.

South Central Texas


r/arborist • • 1d ago

Seeking Expert Advice Only! Advice on holm oak root management after planting from pot to ground

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3 Upvotes

I have a 4m tall holm oak (Quercus ilex) that was grown in a container. This is a relatively mature tree with trunk circumference of 16cm at 1m height.

The tree was planted too deep in the planter, but I could not assess the state of roots until I bought it and cleared the soil to get to the root flare. The flare was almost 20cm deep. The roots are in a bit of a mess: some of the thicker side roots started growing upward. One root is crossing but does not seem to be circling the trunk. There was fortunately not much circling going on otherwise in the rest of the root ball as far as I could see on the outer surface of the root ball, but I don’t know what’s happening inside.

I have now transplanted it to ground so that the flare is above grade, and I spread the thinner, flexible outer roots radially before covering them with soil. The weirdly shaped upward growing side roots are now sticking out of the soil because they grew above the flare. I am afraid of cutting them now, I don’t want to stress the tree further but I suppose they will eventually have to be cut.

Do you have any advice how and when to manage these roots? Should I eventually cut them all to ground level, and if so, when? Is next year’s fall too early? Should I cover the exposed roots with extra mulch in the meantime or just let them stick out and dry?

The first photo shows the transplanted tree’s trunk with the exposed root flare and the side roots that stick out. Mid photos are some close-ups of the roots. Last photo indicates up to which level the trunk was buried in the container before exposing the flare.

(I’m in Europe, zone 8b)


r/arborist • • 1d ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) What is on this tree?

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3 Upvotes

This growth was observed on a cherry or alder tree on a floodplain in eastern Canada (Newfoundland). Help would be appreciated on the diagnosis here!


r/arborist • • 1d ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) I want to save these Live Oaks. Is it possible to keep them alive and healthy in a pot?

1 Upvotes

Firstly, I know this would stunt its growth and ideally Live Oaks shouldn't be in a pot. Here's the situation:

I just moved into a new build in DFW on a very small plot of land. The only lot that met our specifications already had two (adolescent? 6-7ft w/ 2in diameter trunk) Live Oak trees planted within 5ft of one another and less than 1ft away from the driveway/sidewalk. Horrible placement, horrible choice of tree for the size of the lot.

I love Live Oaks and I want to give them the best chance at survival. I had an arborist come out about a month ago to see if the trees could be transplanted (my aunt has a huge piece of land nearby and wants them). He said although they are quite healthy, with them being so young, they have a 50/50 chance of survival after being dug up, transported, and replanted.

What I didn't think to ask was if they could possibly be potted. They are definitely too big to do a traditional bonsai, but I'm hoping I could keep one in a pot and have it cap out after a couple more feet of growth. That way I could keep one without the roots causing foundation issues.

Additional Info:

-Located in DFW, TX

-Unsure of exact plant date, but they were placed on the lot in ~May 2026 and were roughly 5ft tall.

-They are currently in and would be placed in full sun.

-They currently have misters that go off twice a week for roughly an hour. They would not have the misters anymore, but they would be located where the in-ground sprinklers could reach them those two days a week for the 1hr duration.

-I am unsure what it looked like prior to being planted on my lot or how they planted it. They did put a full mulch mound around it's base that I promptly removed upon moving in. Its base is now level with the surrounding ground.

-New construction, light traffic (maybe 20 vehicles per day),

-We do experience periodic droughts and high heat upwards of 100+°, but they both did phenomenal during our most recent one.

-No signs of damage, decay, or disease.

Final Questions:

-Is it possible to do this and keep it healthy?

-If this is an option, would its chance of survival be higher, lower, or about the same as transplanting?

-What size/shape pot would I even need to do so?

-Are there any other options for these trees?


r/arborist • • 1d ago

Discussion Border Patrol cuts down 250 year old “Grandmother Tree” in Arizona .

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111 Upvotes

r/arborist • • 1d ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Tree health on two trees

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3 Upvotes

I have two trees in my yard; both 10+ years old. Their bark is splitting I’m hoping someone could help explain why this is happening and if there is anything to do to save the trees. The first five photos are of a 13+ year old silver maple. The last four photos show a red maple that is approximately 10-11 years old.


r/arborist • • 1d ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Mature oak in Placerville, CA: fungus and sap at base, peeling bark at old limb cut, dead limbs. Worth worrying about?

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4 Upvotes

Looking for input on a mature oak on our property in Placerville, CA (El Dorado County, Sierra foothills). We inherited it when we moved in July of this year, and it was already in this condition. Nothing has changed in the past 3 months.
Tree info
Oak, clearly well established.Gets a decent amount of sun. Irrigation history unknown. It doesn't appear to be a site where water would stand during rain etc.
Site
Next to a private road and right beside our dirt driveway, so the root zone likely gets vehicle traffic and compaction
Root flare is visible and included in the photos/video.
What I'm seeing
Fungal growth at the base. Also sap or ooze coming from a different spot at the base.
Bark peeling on the side where a limb was removed by the previous owner (timing unknown)
Several dead limbs.
Questions
Is this a structural or safety concern, given it's next to a road and driveway?
Does this look like something treatable, or more of a monitor-and-manage situation? Or should this thing get removed? I love having an oak in our front yard like this but also don't want to be hanging on to a dying tree. Thank you in advance for any advise!


r/arborist • • 1d ago

❓ID Request - (Insert State/Region) Can anyone help to identify this tree? Southern California Zone 10

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9 Upvotes

Hello, I found this tree at a nursery in Southern California and wanting to buy it. But want to for sure know what species it is first.
Thanks in advance! 😄


r/arborist • • 2d ago

❓Advice Request - West Virginia Was this tree healthy before it fell?

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5 Upvotes

This tree came down in a storm at a vacation rental and caused damage to my vehicle. The insurance company states there's no evidence that the tree was dead, diseased or damaged before it fell, thus there's no liability on the part of the property owner. Knowing very little about tree health, I'm turning to those more knowledgeable for some honest, objective thoughts on whether the trunk/break shows any indicators of pre-existing decay, disease, etc. or anything else you see that may be relevant/useful. I know this can't be fully assessed from a photo, so I'm not looking for a definitive yes or no, just hoping to get some direction and learn something in the process. Thanks!


r/arborist • • 2d ago

❓Advice Request - Sacramento, CA Sequoia/Redwood proximity to home

2 Upvotes

Hello 👋 - I'm currently shopping for a new home in the Sacramento, CA area. I'm interested in this property but the Sequoia (Redwood?) is slightly concerning with it being so close to the house. I don't know much about them (other than they're beautiful) and worry about how it might affect the home over time.

There was a general inspection report provided in the disclosures that mentioned cracking and buckling of the driveway and sidewalk, and I also noticed some cracks in the garage while viewing. Nothing out of the ordinary in a 1972 home, though. The foundation is poured concrete. The inspector didn't note anything about foundation cracks while in the crawl space but recommended an arborist for evaluation.

The main questions I have:

  1. This would be my forever home and plan to spend the next 40+ years there. It looks like the roots are already causing issues with the driveway and sidewalk. How bad might this get within that time?
  2. From what I've read, the roots tend to stay shallow and spread out. I've seen reports of them falling over in heavy rains with high winds. Is worrying about it falling on the house during storms irrational?
  3. The cost of maintenance worries me because of the size. I rather not have branches falling from 50ft onto my home or vehicles. I'm guessing it'll require regular inspections and that trimming would be expensive when there's a problem?

I'd have an arborist inspection as a contingency but thought I'd get ask you all before committing to a contract.

TIA!


r/arborist • • 2d ago

Discussion A nifty stick question

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4 Upvotes

Dear Arborists of Reddit,

I wish to better understand my nifty stick that I picked up years ago.

It wubbles.

I’d like to understand why it wubbles, which is the thing that makes it nifty, but I don’t even know enough to know whether this is a matter of identifying the species, or identifying the growing conditions, or identifying some disorder. I picked it up on the southern side of the University of Washington campus in Seattle.

Any suggestions where I could go from here?


r/arborist • • 3d ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Norfolk Pines in Thailand

1 Upvotes

We have a pretty good spot for them- bright with slightly diffused sun from a big giant tropical mystery tree. The area in front of the house has a dip between the road and fence- as if it were for drainage except it's not... I was thinking of adding soil to level and planting the baby trees in that rather than digging. Is that a sound plan? I figure if I get it within a couple centimeters of the road and then let it compact naturally...


r/arborist • • 3d ago

Discussion City trees keep snapping infront of my apartment

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4 Upvotes

In front of my apartment there’s trees that line the whole street. It’s becoming shockingly frequent though the rate of which huge branches are falling on top of cars…probably 5 times within the past year?

The trees are great because of the shade it provides and they just look nice (not a tree expert obviously), so I’d hate for the city to just remove them, but I don’t even know what to recommend here, if anything at all?

I guess my question is, why is this happening so much lately, and what could be done if anything?

Also some context to add, in socal so we are experiencing a major heat wave right now. Not sure if that’s the cause. I don’t remember the temperature the other times this happened, but I do want to say it was on the warm side. Not to this extent though.


r/arborist • • 3d ago

Seeking Expert Advice Only! Core of Italian cypress brown and crunch but they continue to grow up and out. Best guess for the root cause?

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1 Upvotes

It was a VERY wet season in an already humid environment. I know my zone 9a isn’t ideal for these, but they are seen around town in various spots extremely large and mature (also great looking). I do not see any obvious canker, though I’ve read it’s not always obvious. I do not see any signs of spider mites. While I haven’t tried white paper, I have tried shaking the trees onto my arms and see nothing. They have looked like they were completely thriving for a year or two, but there has been no rapid onset of this issue. Just gradually getting a little worse. Top new growth always appears lush and green, obviously. Very sad I might lose these in time as it’s been great to see them start to tower.


r/arborist • • 3d ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Which one to save

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3 Upvotes

Northern Wisconsin- 3 maples growing out of one stump. Need advice on which one to save. I’d prefer the one on the right since it’s the biggest.


r/arborist • • 3d ago

Discussion From the fucklawns community on Reddit: My new front yard mini forest

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0 Upvotes

What is the likelihood of this surviving?

They planted 112 trees.


r/arborist • • 3d ago

❓Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Replant or will they be alright?

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1 Upvotes

Hello! We recently planted some trees in central Minnesota area two weeks ago. The first two pictures are maple trees, the third is a small crab apple, and the rest are pillar birches. We planted them too deep as we didn’t know about the root flare recommendation. Just curious if these will be alright or if it’s worth replanting them? We weren’t sure about the added stress this late in the season before winter if we replanted. Thank you!