A tight V-shaped fork in a bigleaf maple or alder trunk is one of the most common split points in a western Washington winter storm. Bark trapped between the two stems keeps the wood from knitting together, leaving a weak joint where the tree carries much of its weight. Multi-stemmed maples and alders are common across the region.
Warning signs include a crack or seam running down from the fork, dark staining or oozing at the union, and one stem starting to lean away from the other. Weak unions like these account for many of the split trunks seen across Snohomish and King County after wet, windy weather.
A V-shaped fork does not always mean a tree has to come down. Sometimes reducing weight on one stem is enough, and sometimes removal is the safer choice over a home, driveway, or play area. Arbor Vet Tree Service evaluates these trees before winter storms arrive.
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A real photo of a maple or alder with a tight V-shaped double trunk, ideally a close-up of the union showing a seam or included bark. A split trunk from a past Arbor Vet storm job also works well as a before shot. Authentic job photos strongly outperform stock images.
Canva text suggestion: "V-Shaped Forks Split, U-Shaped Forks Hold" or "Check That Double Trunk Before Winter"