Clarks Tree Care Team

English ivy on tree trunks: Cut It at the Base

Cut English ivy on tree trunks at the base and leave the vines above to die on the bark. Do not pull them off, because that can peel bark and snap limbs.

tree removal permit Waxhaw NC not for existing yards

For a tree in your own yard on an existing house lot, Waxhaw does not require a removal permit, and unincorporated Union County does not either. Street trees, recorded tree-save areas, and new development follow different rules.

sapsucker holes on a tree trunk, not bark beetles

Straight rows of small holes are yellow-bellied sapsucker sap wells, not bark beetles. Most trees tolerate light feeding, while pitch tubes, boring dust, or D-shaped exits point to insects.

magnolia leaf drop in October: old leaves, not disease

Southern magnolias often drop their oldest interior leaves in October while the outer crown stays green, and that pile is usually normal. Brown new growth, scorched margins, or dead limbs are the signs that need a closer look.

Tree Roots and House Foundations Rarely Crack Sound Slabs

Tree roots usually go around a sound foundation instead of breaking it. They widen cracks that are already there, and cutting a large root beside the house can make the tree unsafe.

Bagworms on Leyland Cypress: October Bags Hold Eggs

Brown bags on Leyland cypress in October are evergreen bagworms full of eggs, not seed cones. Cut them off through early spring, since a spray usually misses and stripped wood will not grow new needles.

Bradford pear removal Union County: when trunks split

A Bradford pear usually fails at the trunk because tight upright crotches hold bark instead of a solid wood joint, so a mild or moderate storm can tear a main stem. Removal is the safer call when a crack already sits over a roof, driveway, or play area.

Pine Bark Beetle Outbreaks in Union County, NC: Identifying Ips vs. Southern Pine Beetle Damage and Protecting High-Value Pines

Learn how to identify Ips engraver beetles versus Southern Pine Beetle damage on Union County pines, spot early warning signs, and protect high-value trees.

Recognizing Hazardous Trees in Waxhaw, NC: Structural Warning Signs, Decay Fungi, and Risk Mitigation

Cracked trunks, codominant stems, root upheaval, and shelf fungi are the warning signs a Waxhaw tree may be hazardous. Learn when to get a professional assessment.

Bacterial Leaf Scorch in Oak Trees: Why Union County Oaks Brown in Late Summer

In Union County, late-summer oak browning is not always drought. Bacterial leaf scorch mimics thirst but is a fatal, insect-spread disease. Here is how to tell them apart, and what care actually helps.

Fall Webworm Nests in Waxhaw NC: When to Worry

Those gauzy webs at your branch tips in late summer are fall webworm, a native caterpillar common around Waxhaw and Union County. Here is how to identify it, tell it apart from the spring eastern tent caterpillar, and decide, honestly, when it is worth doing anything about.

A Neighbor's Tree Fell on My Property in NC: Who Pays?

North Carolina does not make your neighbor automatically liable for their fallen tree. Liability turns on notice, and the most-cited NC case actually went against the homeowners. Here is how fault, contributory negligence, and your own homeowners policy really sort out, and what to do in the first days after a tree comes down.

Proper Tree Mulching and Root-Zone Health: How to Avoid the Mulch Volcano in Waxhaw, NC

Done well, mulch is a 2 to 4 inch ring pulled back from the trunk. Done poorly, it becomes a mulch volcano that can kill a tree. Here is how to mulch trees the right way in Waxhaw and Union County, NC.

Tree Near Power Lines in Waxhaw NC: Who Trims It, Who Pays

A tree near power lines in Waxhaw NC raises one question first: which wire is it? The line along the road is your utility's to clear. The service line from the pole to your meter is yours. Both Duke Energy and Union Power will de-energize or drop that service line free of charge, and that, not a pole saw, is the answer to a limb on the wire.

Protecting Trees During Construction: A Guide for Waxhaw and Union County Homeowners

Protecting trees during construction in Waxhaw and Union County starts before machines arrive: fence a tree protection zone at or beyond each tree's critical root zone, then keep digging, traffic, and grade changes out until the work is done. This guide covers how close you can safely build, why construction damage often shows up years later, and when to bring in an arborist.

Tree Cabling and Bracing: When a Structurally Weak Tree Can Be Saved Instead of Removed

A structurally weak but otherwise healthy tree can sometimes be saved with tree cabling and bracing instead of removed. This guide explains what these arborist-installed support systems do, which trees are and are not good candidates, how long the steel or synthetic-rope hardware tends to last, the inspections it needs over time, and why the save-versus-remove decision belongs to a qualified, certified arborist rather than a do-it-yourself project.