A certified arborist is urging Tampa Bay property owners to inspect the trees on their property for signs of disease and structural weakness before severe weather hits, saying a healthy, well-pruned tree remains the best defense against storm damage.
Lee Claxton, a board-certified arborist, walked through warning signs to look for, including branches overloaded with weight, poor attachment points and visible decay. As an example, he pointed to a laurel oak on his own property that is dying from oak wilt, a fungal disease that spreads underground from root to root.
Claxton said branches that grow straight up or at sharp angles of less than 45 degrees are especially prone to breaking in high winds, particularly when bark grows inward on itself at the joint. He said clusters of stems emerging from the same point create steep, weak attachments that break easily.
By contrast, healthy trees tend to have wide, broad branch attachments that form a U-shape rather than a narrow V-shape, according to Claxton. He added that roots visibly pushing up out of the ground can signal a tree that is actively failing and could come down at any time.
Claxton noted that municipalities each set their own rules for tree removal based on size and species, and he recommended that property owners check local regulations and consult a certified arborist before removing any tree.
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