Plenty of trees around Bethalto and Wood River have leaned for decades and are perfectly sound. A tree that grew toward the light from the start usually has roots and wood that adapted to that angle. The lean worth worrying about is the one that's new or getting worse.
Check the ground on the side opposite the lean. Cracked, raised, or mounded soil there, or roots lifting out of the lawn, can mean the root plate is starting to pull loose. Fresh gaps between the trunk and the soil, or a lean you notice for the first time after a storm or a long stretch of soggy ground, are signs to take seriously.
A simple check: take a photo from the same spot now and again in a few weeks, using a fence post or the corner of the house as a reference. If the angle changes, that tree needs a professional look, and it's not a job for a chainsaw and a rope. We'll explain what we see and what the options are before anything gets cut.
Is there a tree on your property that's always leaned, or one you've only started to notice lately?
#TreeSafety #MetroEastIL
A real photo of a leaning tree on a local property, ideally showing the base with cracked or lifted soil on the side opposite the lean. A crew member examining the root zone would add credibility. Authentic photos of real Riverbend crews and job sites are strongly preferred over stock images.
Canva text suggestion: "Old Lean or New Lean?" or "Check the Soil Opposite the Lean"