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Tree Health AssessmentsOne symptom. A much bigger picture.
A tree health assessment is an on-site look at a tree that’s changing, to understand what’s happening and what, if anything, to do next.
When a tree changes, the useful question is not only “what is it?” It is also “why here, and why now?”
Common requests
- “Why is my tree dying?”
- Leaf spots or early leaf drop
- Mushrooms at the base
- A second opinion
The Magnolia approach
Read the tree. Read the site.
Observations, history, and growing conditions work together. An assessment helps define what is known, what needs investigation, and what comes next.
Your observations
When did the change begin? Is it seasonal, sudden, or gradually progressing?
The whole tree
Consider the canopy, branches, trunk, root flare, and visible signs together.
Plant Health CareThe growing environment
Look at drainage, soil disturbance, water availability, and changes around the tree.
Plant Health CareThe next step
Define practical recommendations, monitoring, or further investigation.
Tree CareAn assessment can become the start of an AIM baseline: standard photos and measurements, recorded so a later visit can be compared with this one. How AIM works
Start before we arrive
Send us a few photos first.
Photos or a short video help us understand what you’re seeing and come prepared. They don’t replace an on-site look, but they’re a great first step.
Text us photos or videos of your tree
- The whole treeStep back far enough to see the top.
- The base and root flareWhere the trunk meets the ground.
- The area of concernA close-up of what you’re noticing.
- Something for scaleA person, fence, or car nearby.
Text photos
or email them to hello (at) magnoliatreecare (dot) com
How we think through a tree problem
Care built around the tree,
not a sales quota.
We don’t arrive with a work order already in mind. Each visit follows the same careful sequence, so recommendations come from evidence—and sometimes the right answer is to wait and watch.
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01
Observe
What changed, where on the tree, and since when?
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02
Site & history
Construction, grading, irrigation, weather, and past work.
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03
Soil & root zone
Compaction, drainage, root flare, and disturbance.
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04
Canopy & structure
Growth, dieback, and branch architecture.
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05
Pests & disease
Signs identified in context—never assumed.
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06
Recommendation
The right work for this tree—or none at all.
Start with what you see
What is your tree
telling you?
A symptom is a clue, not a conclusion. Choose what you’ve noticed to see what might be involved—and why a closer look matters.
Yellow leaves
If you’re seeing
Yellow leaves
Leaf color alone rarely identifies the cause.
Possible contributors
- Too little—or too much—water
- Root damage or compacted soil
- Soil pH and nutrient availability
- Normal seasonal change
- Symptoms can have multiple causes.
- The visible symptom may not be the root cause.
- A proper assessment considers the tree and its surrounding site.
Thinning canopy
If you’re seeing
Thinning canopy
A pattern that often develops over several seasons.
Possible contributors
- Root disturbance or construction
- Drought and heat stress
- Repeated defoliation
- Age-related or site-related decline
- Symptoms can have multiple causes.
- The visible symptom may not be the root cause.
- A proper assessment considers the tree and its surrounding site.
Dead branches
If you’re seeing
Dead branches
Where the dieback appears is an important clue.
Possible contributors
- Natural shading and shedding
- Root or trunk injury
- Cankers or decay
- Boring insects, often after stress
- Symptoms can have multiple causes.
- The visible symptom may not be the root cause.
- A proper assessment considers the tree and its surrounding site.
Holes or sawdust
If you’re seeing
Holes or sawdust
Hole shape, size, and location narrow the possibilities.
Possible contributors
- Wood-boring insects
- Woodpecker feeding
- Decay around old wounds
- Carpenter ants in already-decayed wood
- Symptoms can have multiple causes.
- The visible symptom may not be the root cause.
- A proper assessment considers the tree and its surrounding site.
Mushrooms at the base
If you’re seeing
Mushrooms at the base
Fungal fruiting bodies can indicate decay—or nothing serious.
Possible contributors
- Decay in roots or the lower trunk
- Buried wood or organic matter
- Harmless soil fungi
- Symptoms can have multiple causes.
- The visible symptom may not be the root cause.
- A proper assessment considers the tree and its surrounding site.
Bark changes
If you’re seeing
Bark changes
Some bark changes are completely normal growth.
Possible contributors
- Normal bark shedding with growth
- Mechanical or sun injury
- Cankers
- Cracks after temperature swings
- Symptoms can have multiple causes.
- The visible symptom may not be the root cause.
- A proper assessment considers the tree and its surrounding site.
Leaf spotting
If you’re seeing
Leaf spotting
Many leaf spots are cosmetic; some are not.
Possible contributors
- Fungal or bacterial leaf diseases
- Insect feeding
- Weather or chemical injury
- Symptoms can have multiple causes.
- The visible symptom may not be the root cause.
- A proper assessment considers the tree and its surrounding site.
Premature leaf drop
If you’re seeing
Premature leaf drop
Timing and which leaves drop first both matter.
Possible contributors
- Drought stress
- Leaf diseases
- Root stress
- Extreme weather
- Symptoms can have multiple causes.
- The visible symptom may not be the root cause.
- A proper assessment considers the tree and its surrounding site.
General education only. Several causes can look alike; identifying what is affecting a specific tree requires an on-site assessment.
How pricing works
Agreed in writing before work begins.
Every tree and every site is different, so we don’t post prices. We look at the trees, talk through what you want, and put the scope and price in writing. Work begins only after you’ve agreed to it.
- 01We look and listen
Your trees, your site, and what you’d like to change.
- 02A written scope and price
Which trees, what work, and what it costs.
- 03Work begins when you agree
Nothing starts until the scope and price are settled.
We map your trees in ArborNote and email you a clear work order on every job. See how transparent tree care works
What should I share before a visit?
Tell us what changed, when you first noticed it, and whether there has been nearby construction, digging, irrigation change, or other site work.
Is a health assessment the same as a risk assessment?
They have different objectives. Tree health concerns growth and condition; tree risk also considers failure and what could be affected. Tell us your concern so the scope can be discussed.
Will every problem have a definitive answer?
Some cases need testing, specialist input, or observation over time. Any uncertainty should remain clear in the recommendations.
Continue exploring
Related services.
Let’s start with a conversation
Your trees have a story.
We’re here to listen.
Tell us what you’re noticing. We’ll help you understand it—and decide what, if anything, should happen next. We reply to every request the same day.
Have photos or a video of the tree? Text them to (870) 340-2074.
- Jonesboro and Northeast Arkansas (NEA), Memphis, Little Rock, Bentonville, and surrounding areas
- Licensed, bonded & insured