A healthy tree will almost always do plenty of good for the environment overall, but ailing trees will occasionally create more problems than benefits. How can you spot a tree in trouble versus one that’s truly healthy? For example, can a dead tree have green leaves?

Here’s more about unhealthy tree signs in leaves and other aspects from Monster Tree Service of Greenville County, the go-to expert tree service in Greenville.

Does Your Tree Need Help?

While a completely dead tree won’t have green leaves, healthy-looking foliage doesn’t always point to a thriving tree, either. If you’d like more certainty, know that an ailing tree will usually have one or a combination of the following signs:

No Leaves

A healthy tree needs its leaves to support essential plant processes like photosynthesis for nutrient absorption. If your tree has no leaves or dormant buds, it could be sick or dying.

Call Monster Tree Service of Greenville County to inspect it and recommend the best way forward.

Peeling Bark

Many trees shed their bark naturally. Hardy species bounce back, sprouting fresh growth even after severe bark damage. However, most peeling bark signals a tree in trouble with disease, pests, or stress.

Consult a certified arborist when dealing with a girdled (tree with a 360° bark injury) tree or when in doubt.

Dead Wood

Can a dead tree have green leaves? A fully dead tree won’t have new green leaves, and its existing leaves will turn brown and fall off. This same process hits the wood, as deadwood reveals a tree’s decline, and branches turn dry, brittle, and lifeless.

Removing deadwood sometimes keeps the tree healthier, as deadwood combined with residual moisture may otherwise promote rot and fungal growth.

Decay

Rot often begins inside the tree, so you might not notice right away. Then, as the tree deteriorates, you might see fungi or mushrooms popping up on the trunk or roots. This decay weakens the tree, making it more prone to damage and less healthy overall.

At this point, an arborist may indicate that removal is necessary, especially if it is a disease that could spread to other trees in the area.

The Bottom Line For Your Tree’s Leaves

What’s the reason for your tree’s health decline? Proper pruning could be enough to save it. However, you need to intervene early enough before things get out of hand.

In any case, a dead tree won’t be producing more leaves.

Trust Your Local Arborists for Help

Often, experienced arborists like Monster Tree Service of Greenville County can take care of the tree’s problem, offering advice and a treatment strategy. In fact, as a locally owned and operated tree service, this highly experienced crew brings top-notch expertise to every tree care job, whether it’s:

Tree removal.
Tree or shrub trimming and pruning.
Plant healthcare.
Certified arborist services.

Can a dead tree have green leaves? Can you figure out how to treat black spots on tree leaves? What about leaf retention?

Whatever you’d like to know about your trees, Monster Tree Service of Greenville County can tell you. Call (864) 756-5665 for a free, no-obligation estimate today!