Reviewed by Andrew Hess, ISA Certified Arborist, TRAQ
Normal fall color shows up evenly across the whole tree. In Birmingham that usually runs from late October through November, depending on the year. Stress looks different. Watch for brown, crispy leaves on one side of the tree, green leaves dropping early, bare twig tips, or one section browning while the rest stays green. Those are worth a closer look.
Why the next few weeks matter
Once the leaves fall, every branch looks bare. In January it’s hard to tell a dead limb from a dormant one.
Right now the dead ones stand out. They’re the bare branches in a tree that still has leaves. This is the easiest time of year to find them.
What does drought stress look like in a tree?
Walk your property and look up. Here’s what to watch for.
- Leaf scorch. Leaves turn brown and crispy at the edges and between the veins. It’s usually worse on the south and west sides of the tree, where the sun and wind hit hardest.
- Early leaf drop. Leaves fall while they’re still green.
- Dieback. Twig tips at the top or outer edges of the canopy are bare and brittle.
- Pines browning at the branch tips. Fall drop of older, inner needles is normal. Browning at the outer tips, or the whole tree going yellow to reddish-brown, is not. Check the bark for small blobs of resin that look like popcorn, or reddish sawdust at the base. Either one can mean pine beetles, which go after drought-stressed pines.
- Oaks with long strips of bark falling off. Tan, powdery, or silver-gray patches where the bark used to be can mean Hypoxylon canker. It’s a fungus that moves in on oaks after drought, and it often starts with dead branches at the top of the tree. After the 2016 drought, Alabama Extension found it on more than 75 oaks at the Birmingham Zoo. Once you can see it, the tree usually needs to come down.
How can I tell if a branch is dead or just dormant?
Scratch a small twig with your thumbnail. If it’s green underneath, the branch is alive. If it’s brown and dry, it’s dead. Try a few spots on the tree, and only test branches you can reach while standing on the ground.
Don’t go by whether a twig bends. A branch that died recently can still be flexible.
Can a stressed tree recover?
Often, yes, if stress is the only problem and you catch it early. Here’s what helps.
- Water deep, not often. A lawn sprinkler doesn’t reach tree roots. Most of a tree’s absorbing roots are in the top 12 inches of soil, and they spread well past the edge of the canopy. Run a soaker hose slowly so the water soaks at least 12 inches down. Cover the ground from a few feet off the trunk out past the drip line. During a dry spell that might mean every week, or every couple of weeks. To check, push a long screwdriver into the soil. If it won’t go in easily, it’s time to water.
- Keep watering into the fall. Trees grow a lot of roots this time of year. A dry fall sets them back.
- Mulch. Spread 2 to 4 inches over as much of the root area as you can. Keep it a few inches off the trunk, and don’t pile it against the bark.
- Take out dead wood only. Don’t heavy-prune a stressed tree. Live branches carry the leaves it needs to make food. Dead limbs are different. They can fall, and they can come out any time of year.
- Hold the fertilizer while the soil is dry. Fertilizer is salt. In dry ground it can pull water away from roots that are already short on it.
When does a dead tree need to come down?
Start with what it could hit. A dead tree over a house, driveway, power line, or play area is a different problem than one at the back of a wooded lot.
A dead tree doesn’t get safer with time. The wood dries out, gets brittle, and starts to decay. Winter wind, ice, and wet soil bring weak limbs down. If you want to know how insurance handles a fallen tree, we covered that here.
Waiting also changes the job. Once a dead tree is too brittle to climb safely, we may need a bucket truck or a crane. Access, what’s around the tree, and the equipment needed are what set the price of a tree removal. The kind of tree doesn’t.
How do I know for sure?
If you’re not sure whether a tree is stressed, dying, or dead, a tree risk assessment answers that. Andrew Hess holds the TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) credential. He’ll tell you whether the tree needs care, needs to come down, or is fine.
Evans Tree Service has been taking care of Birmingham trees since 1912. Call us at (205) 879-1263.
Frequently asked questions
When do leaves change color in Birmingham?
Usually from late October through November. The timing shifts year to year. Color that shows up evenly across the whole tree is normal.
Should I water my trees in the fall?
Yes, during dry stretches. Trees put on a lot of root growth in the fall. A slow, deep soak does more good than frequent light watering.
Is brown on my pine tree normal?
Usually, in the fall. Pines shed their older, inner needles every year, and some years it looks heavy. Browning at the outer branch tips is different, and so are resin blobs or reddish sawdust on the bark. Have those looked at.
How can I tell if a branch is dead?
Scratch a small twig with your thumbnail. Green underneath means it’s alive. Brown and dry means it’s dead.
Can a tree with dead branches be saved?
Often, yes. Removing the dead limbs and watering correctly can help a stressed tree recover. If the trunk or main structure is decaying, removal may be the safer call.
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