AFFORDABLE TREE REMOVAL SERVICE IN Highland Park, IL

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Highland Park?

There are many green spaces in Highland Park, and we see a diverse selection of non-native and native trees. There are probably a variety of trees in your yard. Some trees we see most often include:

• Oak 
• Ash 
• Sassafras
• Willow 
• Crabapple
• Locust 
• Eastern Redbud
• American Elm 

Some of these trees grow upwards of an impressive 100 feet tall. When you look at these trees, you think they’ll live forever. However, sometimes, a tree is damaged beyond treatment or dies and needs to be removed. Some of the most common tree issues that we see in Highland Park are:

Storm Damage

This area sees many spring and fall storms with thunder and lightning. After one of these storms, you may find that lightning has struck one of the trees in your Highland Park yard. 

Lightning can damage a tree or even split it in half, while the heavy rains from these storms can put an excess of moisture in your soil. This extra water can lead to root rot, a fungal disease that can kill or damage a tree. 

Another possibility with these storms is a tornado. From 1950 to 2010, there have been 69 tornadoes in the area. A tornado can have winds of up to 300 mph hours at the center of the funnel. 

With winds this high, a tornado can easily pick up a tree of any size in your Highland Park yard and drop a few feet or miles away. Even if you aren’t in the direct path of a tornado, you can still get damaged by the debris field. 

The debris extends up to 50 miles behind the funnel and up to a mile to both sides of the twister. If you suspect a storm or twister damaged a tree, our team can evaluate its condition for you. 

Damage From Insects and Other Pests

All life forms serve a purpose in the ecosystem, including bugs and other pests. However, they aren’t good news for the trees in the yard of your Highland Park home. These critters can call a tree home or make it a food source. Either way, they can damage or kill an otherwise healthy tree. The insects and pests we see most often in the area include:

• European Gypsy Moth
• Asian Gypsy Moth
• Asian Longhorned Beetle
• European Cherry Fruit Fly
• Spotted Lanternfly

By the time you notice insect damage on one tree, the pests have probably infected other trees in the vicinity. It is possible to treat an insect infestation when it’s caught early enough. You just need to know the signs, and these include:

• Smaller leaves and limbs
• Discolored leaves
• Misshapen leaves
• Bald patches
• Sunken areas
• Channels and holes
• Insects on the tree or swarming around it
• Fewer leaves in the canopy
• Weak areas between the trunk and the limbs
• Sudden lack of growth

While this list is fairly comprehensive, you might notice other signs that aren’t on it. If you think you have an insect or pest infestation, we can evaluate the tree and provide you with your options for treatment or removal.

Does the City of Highland Park Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?

In Highland Park, the City takes care of more than 30,000 trees on public land, including easements. The City will cut limbs, treat pest infestations, and remove a damaged tree in these areas. However, a tree in your yard is on private property, and the City won’t help you remove it. 

Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Highland Park?

A tree on private property, such as one in your yard, is almost always your responsibility to remove. However, we do get phone calls asking about other situations. In this section, we’ll cover some of them:

If You’re a Homeowner?

Yes, if you’re the homeowner, you’re almost always responsible for removing a fallen tree in your yard. Now, there is a chance that the tree is on an easement in your yard. If this is the case, you might be able to get the City or one of the utility companies to remove it. 

If You’re a Renter?

When you rent a home in Highland Park, you might tackle the routine yard work, but that wouldn’t include removing a fallen tree. Instead, you need to let the homeowner know if you notice a problem with a tree or one that has fallen. 

If You’re a Landlord?

Many homeowners are also the landlord. Being a homeowner means that it’s your responsibility to remove a fallen tree in the yard, even if you have a tenant. 

If You’re a Neighbor?

In Highland Park, there are a few tall trees, so it isn’t unusual for us to get calls from homeowners who have a fallen tree in their yard that belongs to their neighbor. Sometimes the tree falls over and lands in both yards. 

You are responsible for removing the portion of your neighbor’s tree that’s in your yard. However, there is a single exception. If your neighbor knew the tree was damaged or dying and did nothing, they were negligent in their care for the tree. 

This negligence makes them liable for any property damage and the tree removal from your Highland Park yard. You don’t want to start by calling an attorney. Instead, it’s beneficial to talk to your neighbor first and try to find a solution that works for both of you. You might need to live next door to each other for a long time. 

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Highland Park?

The soil that we see most often in the Highland Park area is Drummer soil which is sandy, silty loam soil. You can expect it to affect your trees because it will absorb water, which can drain the water effectively. This increase in moisture can lead to root rot, a fungal disease. 

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Highland Park?

The Highland Park weather affects the health of your trees. The thunderstorms are violent, and the lightning from one of them can damage or kill a tree. Also, with violent storms, there is a chance of a tornado that can easily knock over a tree or pull it out of the ground, roots and all. 

In the winter months, the area sees more than 36 inches of snow each year, and the overnight temperatures dip into the high teens. All this cold weather creates a condition known as a hard freeze. 

A hard freeze freezes the moisture in your yard and stops a tree from getting the nutrients it needs to survive. As a result, you might find one of your trees damaged or dead in the spring. 

What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Highland Park?

You don’t want to approach a dead tree on a power line. Instead, leave the area and call your local emergency services. The site is unsafe until power is cut from the lines. A tree near a power line also needs to be handled carefully. You want to hire a professional service like Tree Triage to remove it safely. 

If the tree is on private property, you need to take care of removing it from your yard. There’s always a chance with a tree close to a power line that it’s on an easement and the power company’s responsibility. Check with the power company before making arrangements with us for its removal. 

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Highland Park?

We can’t tell you the exact cost of removing a tree from your Highland Park yard until we see it. The cost of removing a tree in the area is typically between $175 and $2,175, with an average price of around $675. Some factors affect your final cost: 

Tree Removal Permit

Before we can remove a tree from your yard or even begin the process, you need a tree removal permit from the city of Highland Park. Getting a permit takes additional time and money, adding to your final costs for removing the tree. 

Additional Services

When we remove a tree, the homeowner might request additional services, such as removing the stump. Also, turning the fallen tree into wood chips or firewood is a popular additional service. The homeowner uses the wood chips as mulch around their yard. However, making wood chips takes more time and equipment to accomplish. 

Location of the Tree

Sometimes, we need to remove a tree that sits close to a house. To avoid damage to the home, our team must take more time and precautions to remove it.