Old Hickory's Expert Arborists

Old Hickory’s Tree Challenges

Willow oaks at century age are the Village’s crown jewels and its heaviest liability. Limbs on these trees outweigh entire young trees, old pruning wounds have had a hundred years to become cavities, and every one stands over a historic bungalow, a sidewalk, or a street. Careful weight reduction and cabling extend their lives; topping or neglect ends them. We treat each one as the landmark it is.

A canopy planted in unison fails in unison. The company town plantings mean whole blocks share species and age, so when willow oak limb failures start on one street, the neighbors are on the same clock. Village homeowners who schedule assessments together get ahead of that pattern instead of meeting it storm by storm, and the canopy stays intact longer for everyone.

Lake wind and shoreline soil work the waterfront trees harder than anything inland. Open water gives gusts a running start, and saturated bank soil gives roots less to hold. Trees at Old Hickory Beach and along the lakefront need stronger structure and more conservative pruning than the same species two streets back, and we prune them accordingly.