Not every troubled tree is a doomed tree, but a few warning signs reliably separate the ones worth saving from the ones that have become a liability. Learning to read them lets you call for help before a problem becomes an emergency in the next Georgia thunderstorm.
Start at the base and work up. A tree that has begun leaning suddenly, especially if you can see soil heaving or roots lifting on the opposite side, is in the process of failing and deserves urgent attention. A lean that has been there for years and shows no movement is a different matter. Around the trunk, look for large cavities, deep cracks running vertically, or areas where the bark has fallen away and the wood beneath looks soft, dark, or spongy. Mushrooms or shelf-like fungus growing from the base or trunk are a particularly bad sign, because they often indicate internal decay that has hollowed out the tree from within while the outside still looks intact.
Move your eyes into the canopy. Large dead limbs, sections that leaf out late or not at all in spring, or a crown that is noticeably thinner than nearby trees of the same species all point to a tree in decline. Hanging or broken branches caught up in the canopy are immediate hazards regardless of the tree’s overall health.
Then consider where the tree stands. A structurally questionable tree in the back corner of an open lot is a manageable risk. The same tree leaning toward your roof, your driveway, a power line, or a neighbor’s home raises the stakes considerably, and that combination of poor condition plus a target is what usually tips a tree into the “remove it” category.
When you are unsure, an evaluation answers the question that matters most: can this tree be saved with pruning and cabling, or has it become a liability worth removing? Getting that verdict early, before the tree decides for you, is almost always cheaper and safer than dealing with one that comes down on its own in the next storm.