A tree needs to come down when it has become a hazard or is too far gone to save. That is a shorter list than most homeowners expect. Here are the five signs, what actually makes a tree dangerous, and why size has almost nothing to do with it.

Most homeowners call about a tree the week it finally looks bad. By then it has been in trouble for a year. Here are the signs of a dying tree in the order they appear, how to tell dead from dormant, and what can still be reversed.