Wind and storms over the winter can leave broken branches or other failing tree parts within the canopy.

Late winter into early spring is a good time to inspect trees before leaves emerge.

Following a season of storms, damaged trees often retain broken limbs in their crowns.

As spring approaches, take a moment to look at the trees in your landscape. We each have a duty of care to maintain our properties in a manner that is safe for persons passing by on public streets and other adjacent shared spaces.

Attention to safety and reasonable efforts on our part help protect ourselves and others in our community.

Broken tree parts may be lodged in the tree crown or leaning on other trees, even to have survived strong winds. However, they may give way during a time of calm conditions.

Most trees have defects that still allow them to function in the landscape under normal weather conditions.

Even day-to-day weather events bring stresses of wind, temperature, and moisture that trees have grown to respond well enough to survive and bend, yet not break.

Injuries and pest attacks, though, often introduce decay into the tree structure that continually degrades strength and function.

Trees only add enough response growth to withstand the forces they have undergone in the past. An unusually severe storm may cause dead or defective structures to break.

Most breakage from storms occurs in previously damaged or decayed tree parts.

The likelihood of something failing and causing harm to someone or something, or disrupting service defines risk.

While a tree exists, some risk remains. If no harm will come from a tree breakage, or the occurrence is unlikely to happen, the level of tree risk is low.

The benefits that a tree’s presence delivers must outweigh the risks for the tree to remain an asset.

Monitoring a tree’s condition allows you to enjoy the benefits it brings as long as it meets your needs.

Actions you take to reduce risk are known as mitigation.

You might prune a tree or reinforce its structure to reduce the likelihood of failure.

You might move things from under the tree to avoid damage if a break or other failure occurs in the tree.

You especially want to move benches, picnic tables, or other things that might attract people to spend time under a tree with a higher potential to have a failure to keep people away from risk of injury or even death from a failing tree.

You might take a combination of measures, such as removing a broken limb and teaching children not to climb trees without first assessing the condition of them.

All these steps are meant to reduce the level of risk to a level you can bear.

If you have a tree that you question is at risk of falling, failing or has broken limbs that need to be removed and you cannot easily reach them, it is best to consult a Certified Arborist about trees on your property.

This avoids bringing harm to you, and perhaps to others.

“Growing Green” is contributed by Diane Dorn, Lehigh County Extension Office Staff, and Master Gardeners. Information: Lehigh County Extension Office, 610-391-9840; Northampton County Extension Office, 610-813-6613