{"id":290,"date":"2021-03-01T10:52:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-01T15:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/?p=290"},"modified":"2025-11-03T11:00:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T16:00:10","slug":"hazardous-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/hazardous-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"Hazardous Trees<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Hazardous trees are unhealthy or unsound trees that can cause injury or damage when they fall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Heather N. Kolich, ANR Agent, UGA Extension Forsyth County <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our recent Georgia Arbor Day celebrations gave us opportunities to appreciate the many benefits of trees. These majestic plants are essential elements for many ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They provide habitat and nourishment for wildlife and other plants, reduce soil erosion, and influence the weather. On the human side, trees give us beauty and shade, improve our physical and mental health, and provide economic benefits. But all like all living and structural things, trees can fail, and a failing tree can become a hazard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes a tree hazardous?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In forest and natural environments, dying trees drop limbs, fall or collapse, and continue to contribute to the ecosystem. In settings where people are present, however, falling limbs and trees can cause injury, death, damage, and economic loss. If a failing tree or part of that tree is likely to fall on a person, pet, livestock, house, car, fence, or other target, it is a hazardous tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Causes of tree failure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age, injury, defects, disease, weather, and insects can transition a tree from vigorous health to declining health or sudden death. With aging trees, decline usually progresses toward death over a span of years. Trees may struggle to overcome minor to moderate injuries for years, as well, but catastrophic injuries from storms or construction damage cause rapid death. Disease is often a secondary factor that hastens tree decline, since aging, injured, and otherwise stressed trees are less able to resist or overcome disease pathogens. Pest insects like boring beetles are attracted to stressed trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identifying hazardous trees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some signs of hazardous trees are easy to see. Things to look for include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n