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Guide To Recognising & Preventing Tree Hazards

Tallow Tree Services Pty Ltd • Nov 03, 2022

How safe are the trees on your property? A hazardous tree is one that's likely to fall, or drop branches or foliage. A branch or tree falling on property or people can cause serious damage. Unfortunately, it may even be fatal in some cases. The challenge for property owners is to recognise when a tree is becoming hazardous. Whilst dangerous trees need to be pruned or felled, it's important to ensure that healthy trees aren't felled because they've been wrongly perceived as hazardous. To help, we've put together a guide to recognising the signs that your trees are becoming hazardous.

A Tree That's Moving Towards The End Of Its Lifespan

Like other living things, trees have a natural lifespan. For example, a eucalyptus tree can easily thrive for several centuries. In contrast, most wattle varieties have a lifespan of just one or two decades. If you're not sure how old the tree is, a professional from Tallow Tree Services can easily provide an accurate estimate. Older trees require regular inspection to check for signs of deterioration.

A Sick Tree

Trees are prone to a wide range of diseases, including attacks from parasites, bacteria and viruses. Some of the signs that your tree could be diseased include:

  • Discoloured leaves, or leaves with oddly shaped blotches on them
  • Fungal growths on the tree
  • Missing leaves
  • Holes in the leaves
  • Dead branches
  • Crumbly bark, or bark that's discoloured, falling away or otherwise abnormal
  • The tree starts to lean

In some cases, it's possible to treat the tree, so that it heals. A tree surgeon can diagnose the problem and suggest suitable remedial action, or remove the tree if it's too badly diseased to be retained.

An Injured Tree

Storms, subsidence or trauma can all cause trees to be injured. An injured tree will usually have obvious signs of trauma. These include:

  • Broken or missing branches
  • A gouged or scraped trunk
  • Exposed roots
  • A pronounced lean due to being hit, or due to ground subsidence

Depending on the severity of the injury, these trees can be extremely dangerous. Prompt action is often needed to stabilise the tree, or remove it altogether if it's too badly damaged.

A Tree That's Grown Too Big Or Is In A Hazardous Location

Sometimes trees are healthy enough but have simply grown too big for their location. If tree branches are beginning to overhand your property, or a tree has grown extremely tall (particularly if it's near power lines, a road or property), it's going to need pruning or felling promptly. It's also worth checking whether your property contains any fast-growing trees that are likely to cause problems more quickly than you might think.


The key to keeping trees in good condition is regular inspection and timely action if a problem is discovered. As well as inspecting your trees following a storm, we also suggest inspecting each tree annually. Look for signs of fresh leaf growth or dieback, signs of disease or trauma and any evidence of a lean developing.


For expert tree inspection, maintenance and felling, contact the friendly, professional team at Tallow Tree Services, on (0401) 208 797.

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