Tree Care in Highland Park, IL

If you're looking at the trees in your Highland Park yard, you're likely seeing the legacy of the 1960s building boom. Many of the silver maples and Bradford pears planted back then are now mature, and that's where problems start. Builders chose these species for fast growth and instant curb appeal, but silver maple has weak wood and aggressive surface roots, while a Bradford pear is practically guaranteed to split at its weak branch unions after 15 to 20 years. These structural flaws aren't always visible from the outside. Internal decay can be active for years before a cavity or crack appears. That's why we use tools like sounding, tapping the trunk with a mallet to listen for the dull thud of rot versus the clear ring of solid wood. It's a simple way to assess what you can't see.