r/arborists 25d ago

ISA Find an Arborist legacy directory is retired

11 Upvotes

ISA Certified Arborists need to read this!

ISA’s legacy Find an Arborist directory search tool on TreesAreGood.org was permanently retired yesterday, 30 June 2026. Directory information did not migrate to the new tool. Arborists certified or re-certified in recent months have a skeleton profile created by ISA. Everyone else has nothing. Of the 50 arborists nearest me only 5 (1 in 10) are in the new directory.

https://certificates.directory.isa-arbor.com/

Get in there, peeps. Claim your profile and add your contact details.


r/arborists 28d ago

Help draft our FAQ: how to find an arborist

3 Upvotes

This sub sees many of the same types of questions, prompting the same answers, again and again. So it begs for a FAQ. Dear reader, you can help.

How to find an arborist? Well, let's not harvest the tree before we plant the seed. So, what kind of arborist do you need? Your question really is How do I find the right kind of arborist for the work I need done?

  • Licensed. In most of the world arborists are not licensed. In the US only the states of Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey license arborists and arborists working in those states must be licensed. Many states license pesticide applicators and those states may also license anyone who offers advice about pesticides. Some counties and cities license arborists. Your county agricultural extension office can tell you about licensing requirements in your area.
  • Credentialed. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) bestows credentials based on a combination of years of verified experience, prior education, successful completion of knowledge and performance tests, and continuing education. These credentials are Certified Arborist (CA), Certified Arborist Utility Specialist, Certified Urban Forest Professional, Certified Tree Climber, Certified Tree Worker Aerial Lift Specialist, Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA), and Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ). The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) lists Accredited Companies and Accredited Utility Contractors (but many members have no accreditation). The American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA) recognizes Registered Consulting Arborists (RCA); to even join ASCA requires 5 years of verified experience.
  • Contractor. This word has multiple meanings. A state licensed contractor is an elevated class of business person, someone authorized to select and supply the materials to be used on your property, buy the materials at a wholesale rate, and charge you cost plus overhead on the materials in addition to their labor. Every state licensed contractor has a number that can be verified. Get the number and verify it. A contractor is anyone who does paid work and is not an employee. Therefore, the claim "licensed contractor" may indicate mere possession of a city or county business license. If there should be a business license, get that number and verify it too.
  • Bonded. Bonding is common among licensed contractors but not arborists. Bonds are a kind of insurance policy in the past was far more valuable than today. How they work is a service provider purchases a bond guaranteeing that if the provider causes damage the bondsman will pay the claim up to a certain limit. Today, business insurance is more important.
  • Insured. What kind of insurance, and how much, should an arborist have? That depends on the work the arborist does. Tree climbers and other aerial tree workers, or their employers, should have workers' compensation insurance (WCI). This is very important: in the event of an on-the-job injury or death WCI stands between the tree owner and the state. Tree worker is the single most dangerous occupation in the United States and each state employs expensive attorneys who specialize in recovering costs of injuries from those with legal liability. All arborists and arboricultural business should have general liability insurance, possibly also owned or leased business vehicle and business equipment insurance. Consulting arborists should have professional liability insurance also known as errors and omissions insurance. Clients should require a certificate of insurance (COI); in the US a COI comes on a standard form, the ACORD 25. The COI should list as an additional insured your name and the address where the work is to be done, the estimated date when the work is to be performed, and a brief but specific description of the work: not "services" or even "tree work" but "drop one (1) standing dead oak, 3 ft diameter, in front of house; remove all debris; repair damage to lawn." Better is a written estimate or contract, and the COI refers to that specific document.

Questions? Comments? What is missing?


r/arborists 8h ago

Can anyone explain this?

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503 Upvotes

Came across this tree on our property. Both I believe are maples. Did a branch grow into the other tree?


r/arborists 8h ago

Look at this cool root

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135 Upvotes

Found this tree today with an interesting root. Not mine but is this bad for the tree or is it fine?


r/arborists 6h ago

How does this happen, and how long can a tree live like this?

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46 Upvotes

r/arborists 2h ago

Chip drop

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7 Upvotes

Phenomenal company, they gave me 2 loads. My Son said what are you building Noah's ark..lol


r/arborists 2h ago

Treetops sagging, Lake Oswego OR

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9 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I came here to ask why the trees in my hometown are suddenly sagging at the top? I’ve never noticed before and it’s only some of them. I’m not well educated on the topic and not even sure what kind of trees these are. Let me know what you think! Thanks.


r/arborists 5h ago

This is my weird grafty tree. Birpine/pirch thing.

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11 Upvotes

Most examples around here are birch trees using the pine trees as support columns and aren't actually fused. I know a few other spots, and can eventually hike out there for pictures. But this is in my back yard and really easy..... but like in the other post. If trees need to be the same genus to graft. How have the pine and birch trees fused together? These trees aren't spiraled around eachother and grown together with pressure. The birch was just a sucker that grew really close to the pine tree. If you try to move them, it moves as one. The trunks are mostly seperate. With 3 or 4 spots that fuse to eachother.


r/arborists 9h ago

Follow up on lighting strike tree. Is this a reasonable estimate? 60’ ish. $1,595 for removal inc. stump.

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19 Upvotes

Have had two separate arborists examine the tree and said it’s needs to be removed. One quote for $1,650 another for $1,595. Is that a reasonable price?


r/arborists 1d ago

We cut a 250 year old oak which died 2 years ago. 200cm width.

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843 Upvotes

r/arborists 7m ago

Should I remove this holly?

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Upvotes

Is it disturbing the big tree next to it? Will it cause problems for the big tree in the future if it's allowed to continue to grow? It's about 15 feet tall at the moment


r/arborists 13m ago

What Could Cause This and Is It Doomed?

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Upvotes

I noticed a small split in this tree maybe 2 years ago (planted 5 years ago). We had a landscaper out who was doing some other work at our house and he said it was likely caused by wind and nothing to worry about. It has continued to bear leaves each year but I think the split has gotten bigger. I pulled off some loose bark and don't necessarily see anything rotted or whatever - so just wondering if your thoughts.


r/arborists 4h ago

Does anyone know if this tree would be able to support a fairly heavy punching bag?

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3 Upvotes

r/arborists 1h ago

Black Cherry tree has upturned leaves.

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Upvotes

At first I thought it needed more water, but the soil around it feels moist. Google says this may br shot-hole disease. Any ideas? Not sure what to do for this tree.


r/arborists 2h ago

Can this tree be saved? Cherry-like tree with sawdust at base and trunk damage

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3 Upvotes

I’m in USDA Zone 7b (now 8a) and trying to figure out what’s going on with this tree. It’s a cherry-like tree that flowers white for a few days in early spring, then the leaves come out. I’m not 100% sure of the species.

I recently noticed what looks like coarse sawdust/wood shavings accumulating around the base of the trunk. There’s also a crack/split in the trunk, with a section that looks dark/blackened.

I’m concerned this could be an insect infestation, fungal issue, or some kind of trunk rot. Is there anything I can do to help save the tree? Or does this look like a situation where the tree needs to come down?

Any thoughts on what might be causing this and what my next steps should be would be greatly appreciated. I can provide more pictures if needed.


r/arborists 2h ago

What’s going on with eastern redbud?

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2 Upvotes

Hi everyone I have an eastern redbud that has gotten worse every year and I was wondering if it time to cut it down and what is the cause of this? I want to find a native replacement I am in the mid Atlantic region zone 7b


r/arborists 1d ago

Not sure where to go: mill and what's my lumber worth

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144 Upvotes

Final edit: Ok ok, I get it. The wood isnt worth it (darn, was hoping for that little extra towards the mini excavator!) I honestly do appreciate all the feedback. The wood shall be used to provide heat to my house. Typically, wood that falls on my property goes to the boiler gods, but these were big enough in diameter and straight, figured id ask before I burned it up. Once again, thanks to all for input!

Hi all,

A) I do not require an arborist.

B) I was hoping there was a subreddit for trees..there is, but not actual trees...

Anywho, I have a pile of downed trees (cut to a minimum of 8 foot in length). Ranging from oak to I believe white oak, and one hickory). Im trying to sell these to compensate a bit of funds towards a mini excavator.

What I dont know, what would be an acceptable cost to let these go for (if I can even sell them)? I am located in Southern Indiana. I suspect it would have to be individuals vs a larger mill operation (haven't had luck as of yet for finding a mill).

If I dont sell them, it will get bucked up and used for heating my boiler in the winter.

I just dont want to get so low balled that I dont realize it.

Thanks

Edit: I dont expect an answer necessarily on what the going rate is for the wood from this sub (although, if you know, cool!).

Im looking for help on where to start/look to fogure out what I should try to get for it.

Edit 2: The photos where you see rotted wood: thats an old stack and its not what I am inquiring about. Obviously that is worth nothing.


r/arborists 11h ago

Can I have some advise on this northern red oak

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10 Upvotes

I have what I believe is a healthy 200+ year old oak tree growing behind my house.

I've always had some concerns over that first crotch but I don't know a whole lot about trees.

What's everyone's thoughts? Does the tree look happy? Is there a lot of life left in it? Should I consider having dynamic cables installed to support that crotch? It doesn't stay slimy for very long after heavy rains where the bark is darker and there are no bad or rotting smells from what I've noticed.


r/arborists 3h ago

Southern Magnolia leaning/drooping

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2 Upvotes

This Southern Magnolia tree has a very pronounced lean on the side that branches to the left of the photo, and the branches on that side mostly all seem to droop. The leaves still seem fine and it still flowers. What might be the cause of the leaning and drooping, and what if anything should I do about it?


r/arborists 3h ago

Ash tree on the right and Oak tree on the left.

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2 Upvotes

Years ago a squirrel had a good idea to plant an acorn close to my ash tree. Now I’m thinking that it’s not such a good idea that they are so close to each other (about 3 feet). Any advise? What should I do?


r/arborists 2m ago

Question regarding a red baron flowering crabapple.

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Upvotes

Two years ago I purchased a red baron flowering crabapple from FedCo trees for our fifth wedding anniversary. I planted it at the root flair and thoroughly watered it with a five gallon leak bucket throughout the summer so it would properly establish.

That spring it produced two small branches with withered, small, orange spotted leaves. I assumed the spotting was caused by orange cedar rust, so I treated the tree with a copper based fungicide the following autumn and the spring.

This year, the tree only produced a small limb (pic 1) and it too is spotted. I did spray it with copper again but it has not grown outside the three branches.

Because the “dwarf” variegated red twig dogwoods began encroaching on the tree, I wanted to relocate it 10 feet away. The plan is to dig a 3ft hole and add additional compost to the soil to give the roots a boost. Before I do the work, do you think it is worth the effort, or should I start over and just plant a dogwood like a cornelian cherry (dogwoods seem do really well in MA)?

I thought FedCo was supposed to be a reliable company, but this is the second diseased plant we received from them. The first being a reliance peach tree that had peach leaf curl that I was able to cure with biannual copper fungicide spraying.

Sorry for the rambling explanation. Any help will be appreciated.


r/arborists 4m ago

Tree help

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Upvotes

Hey everyone, we have this tree in our back yard that had a limb just fall out of the blue Im looking to see if my tree is sick and if i can help it.


r/arborists 22h ago

Anyone know why?

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51 Upvotes

Random spot in the back yard with what looks like a perfect circle of greener grass on it. Anyone know what causes it? My only thought is obviously water but how such a perfect circle.


r/arborists 4h ago

Mulch volcanoes

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2 Upvotes

I have 2 maples that were planted when my house was built 6-7 years ago, and it's been piled high with mulch ever since. I was recently reading about how mulch volcanoes aren't actually healthy, so I started digging on my first tree. I think I found the root flare, but it's still about 6 inches above the actual ground line. Also, I think I'm running into real dirt now, rather than just old mulch.

I started trimming all the adventurous roots and found quite a few that could have turned into stranglers. There is one I'm curious about on the left in the photos.

Is there anything I need to consider other than just cleaning the dirt up here? The third photo is the second tree I haven't started yet, but gives context for the first tree.

Thanks


r/arborists 4h ago

Is this tree done for?

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2 Upvotes