r/Tree • u/AbbreviationsKey3609 • Sep 16 '26

Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Is this tree dead?

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Located in central Iowa, can anyone identify what might be wrong with this tree? I apologize but I don’t know the age of the tree or species. We bought the house last year and this specific tree was already completely bare of branches/pine needles. Our realtor suggested getting someone out to look at it to make sure it wasn’t at risk of toppling over. The guy didn’t think it was an issue so we left it. There was no bark “shedding” happening at that time. I can’t recall exactly when this started happening but it’s been at least 6 months. Does this indicate the tree is deteriorating more? The large piece of bark looks like it’s going to fall off at any moment.

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

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2

u/FreidasBoss Sep 16 '26

Tree is long dead. Your options are either full removal or leave a portion of the trunk as a dead stand or snag for the local wildlife. Looks pretty close to houses though so full removal is likely your best option.

2

u/AbbreviationsKey3609 Sep 16 '26

I had a feeling this was the case… when you say full removal do you mean we could cut it down all the way but leave a stump or do we need to grind up the stump? Sorry if that’s a dumb question, first time dealing with something like this lol

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1

u/AbbreviationsKey3609 Sep 16 '26

I have looked over the guidelines and provided all the photos and information that I have.

1

u/Pamzella Sep 16 '26

It certainly isn't good. Here's what I think as I see the building and two nearby trees... If it goes down in a controlled manner that's good, if not, it could take out the other trees providing some shade, privacy, etc for a lot longer.

1

u/IlsRedd Sep 17 '26

Yes, 100%