5 Signs a Tree on Your Franklin Property Is About to Fall

Published 2026-05-21 · Tree Franklin TN

A tree usually warns you before it comes down. Knowing the signs can mean the difference between a planned removal and a limb through your roof after the next Williamson County storm.

1. A sudden or worsening lean

Trees that grew at an angle are usually fine. A tree that has recently started leaning, or whose lean is getting worse, is not. After a wet spring the soil in much of Franklin softens, and a heavy canopy can start to tip. If you see fresh soil heaving or cracking on one side of the base, treat it as urgent.

2. Dead or hanging limbs

Large dead branches, sometimes called widowmakers, can drop with no warning and no storm. If a section of the canopy leafs out later than the rest or not at all, that part of the tree is dying and the limbs are a hazard over anything below them.

3. Cracks in the trunk or major forks

A deep vertical crack, or a split where two large stems meet, means the tree is structurally compromised. These failures often happen in the ice storms and straight line winds that roll through middle Tennessee.

4. Roots and fungus at the base

Mushrooms or shelf fungus growing at the base often signal root or trunk rot you cannot see. A tree can look healthy up top while its anchor is quietly failing underground.

5. Hollow or soft wood

If the trunk sounds hollow when tapped, or you can push a screwdriver into the wood, decay has set in. Hollow trees can stand for years or fall in the next gust, and only a trained eye can judge which.

When in doubt, get it looked at

An ISA certified arborist can tell you whether a tree needs removal, cabling, or just monitoring. If a tree threatens your house, a power line, or the street, do not wait for a storm to make the decision for you.