The usual suspects
Water oak
Water oaks are everywhere in older Chattanooga neighborhoods. They grow fast and big, but they're relatively short-lived for an oak, and older trees often develop decay in the trunk and major limbs. Watch for mushrooms at the base, dead limbs in the crown and cavities. A water oak that's showing its age near the house is one of the most common removals around here.
Tulip poplar
Tulip poplars, the Tennessee state tree, grow tall and straight, often the tallest trees in a neighborhood. Their wood is relatively soft, and they're known for dropping large limbs in storms. Their height also means they catch more wind and reach farther when they fall.
Bradford pear
Tight, weak forks make Bradford pears split apart as they age, especially in ice. Many neighborhood Bradfords are now at the age where that happens. See Bradford pear removal.
Pines
Loblolly and Virginia pines are common on wooded lots from Hixson to Ooltewah. Pines stressed by drought, crowding or root damage are targets for bark beetles, and a dead pine dries out and becomes brittle quickly. Tall pines on wet ground can also uproot in strong wind.
Dead ash
The emerald ash borer was found in Hamilton County in 2013 and has since spread across much of Tennessee. Untreated ash trees die, and dead ash gets brittle fast, which makes them dangerous to climb and quick to drop limbs. If you have an ash with a thinning crown, have it looked at soon.
Conditions that make any tree more likely to fall
- Saturated soil. Days of rain followed by wind is the classic setup for uprooted trees.
- Ice. Ice can multiply the weight on a tree's branches. Weak forks and long, heavy limbs break first.
- Ridges and slopes. On Signal Mountain, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, trees face more wind, often grow in shallow soil over rock, and lean downhill.
- Construction damage. A new driveway, addition or utility trench cutting through roots can kill a tree slowly. It may fall years later.
- A tree suddenly alone. Trees that grew up in a group lean on each other for wind protection. When the neighbors are cleared for a house, the survivors often fail in the next few storms.
What to do with this
Walk your yard and note which of these trees could reach your house, driveway or a neighbor's house. Then check each one against our 10-point hazard checklist. The trees that are both a risky type and showing warning signs are the ones to deal with before spring storm season. Our timing guide explains why late winter is a good time to schedule.
Want a crew to look at them? Call (423) 356-6500 or use the form below.
Common questions
What trees fall the most in storms in Tennessee?
Trees with weak wood, weak forks or hidden decay fail most often: older water oaks, Bradford pears, tulip poplars, dead ash trees, and pines stressed by drought or beetles. Any tree with root damage or rot is at higher risk.
Why do so many trees fall when the ground is wet?
Saturated soil holds roots much more loosely. After days of rain, a strong gust can tip over a tree that would have stood fine in dry ground, roots and all.
Are trees on Signal Mountain and Lookout Mountain more likely to fall?
Ridge-top and slope trees deal with more wind and often have shallow soil over rock, which limits how deep roots can go. Steep lots also make removal harder, so it's worth checking big trees there before storm season.
Should I remove a tree just because it's a water oak or a pear?
Not automatically. Species raises or lowers the odds. What decides it is the tree's condition and what it would hit. Use the hazard checklist, and remove the ones that show warning signs near your house.