KNOW YOUR TREES —
GEORGIA'S MOST COMMON SPECIES

LOBLOLLY PINE

Pinus taeda

ID Features

• Long needles in bundles of 3, 6–9 inches
• Reddish-brown plated bark on mature trunks
• Tall, straight silhouette with high crown

Risk Notes

• Root rot in poorly drained or wet soils weakens anchor roots
• High wind-throw risk — entire root plate can uproot in storms
• Ice accumulation on long needles dramatically increases failure load
• Tip moth and pine beetle infestations can rapidly kill trees

WHITE OAK

Quercus alba

ID Features

• Rounded lobes with no bristle tips (unlike red oaks)
• Whitish-gray, flakey blocky bark
• Broad, spreading canopy — often wider than tall at maturity

Risk Notes

• Co-dominant stems (multiple leaders) create included bark — high splitting risk
• Massive canopy weight amplifies wind load on attachments
• Long-lived (200–600 yrs) but limbs become increasingly heavy with age
• Slow to show external symptoms of internal decay

WILLOW OAK

Quercus phellos

ID Features

• Narrow, willow-like leaves — distinctive among oaks
• Smooth gray bark that furrows with age
• Round, dense crown — a common street and yard tree

Risk Notes

• Aggressive surface roots buckle sidewalks, driveways, and foundations
• Brittle small-diameter branches shed frequently after storms
• Root competition with turf and nearby plantings
• Leaves are small and hard to rake — high leaf litter

WATER OAK

Quercus nigra

ID Features

• Spatula or duck-bill shaped leaves — highly variable on the same tree
• Dark, rough bark breaking into small blocks
• Semi-evergreen in north GA; broadly rounded crown

Risk Notes

• Internal heart rot often advances silently — tree looks healthy while hollow
• Among the most common GA species to fail without warning
• Weak branch attachments common in upper canopy
• Relatively short-lived (60–80 yrs); risk increases sharply with age

SOUTHERN RED OAK

Quercus falcata

ID Features

• Large leaves with a distinctive bell-shaped base and 3–7 pointed lobes
• Reddish inner bark visible when scratched
• Fast-growing, broad crown — often asymmetric

Risk Notes

• Fast growth means wood forms quickly — lower density, more brittle
• Relatively short-lived (60–100 yrs) with high storm failure rate
• Large canopy generates extreme sail effect in high winds
• Multiple large scaffold limbs can split off in severe storms

SWEETGUM

Liquidambar styraciflua

ID Features

• Star-shaped 5–7 pointed leaves — vivid red/orange fall color
• Spiky brown seed balls ("gumballs") persist through winter
• Corky ridges on young branches are diagnostic

Risk Notes

• Surface roots are highly invasive — uplift driveways, sidewalks, and foundations
• Gumball litter creates a year-round slip hazard
• Moderate storm risk — main trunk generally sound, but large limbs can fail
• Very difficult to remove due to deep tap root and lateral spread

TULIP POPLAR

Liriodendron tulipifera

ID Features

• Distinctively shaped 4-lobed leaves with a flat or notched tip
• Yellow-green tulip-shaped flowers in spring
• Tall, straight trunk with furrowed gray bark; very high crown

Risk Notes

• Very tall with a high, dense upper canopy — extreme wind load
• Upper branches are brittle; large limb drops are common after storms
• Shallow root system can destabilize in saturated soils
• Rapid growth produces wood that is less structurally sound

EASTERN WHITE PINE

Pinus strobus

ID Features

• Soft, blue-green needles in bundles of 5
• Long, slender cones (4–8 inches)
• Multi-stemmed or multi-leader habit is common

Risk Notes

• Multi-stemmed form creates multiple failure points under ice or snow load
• Common in north GA; heavy wet snow and ice storms cause regular failures
• Root system is shallow — wind-throw risk on exposed sites
• White pine blister rust and needle blight can rapidly weaken trees

LEYLAND CYPRESS

× Hesperotropsis leylandii

ID Features

• Dense, flat sprays of scale-like foliage — dark green year-round
• Fast-growing columnar or pyramidal silhouette
• Commonly planted in tight rows as a privacy screen

Risk Notes

• Highly susceptible to Seiridium canker — causes branch dieback from inside out
• Bagworms can strip foliage and kill trees in a single season if untreated
• Planted too densely, inner foliage dies creating a fire hazard
• Shallow roots make them vulnerable to wind-throw when isolated

BRADFORD PEAR

Pyrus calleryana

ID Features

• Dense, symmetrical oval canopy when young
• White flowers in early spring (unpleasant odor)
• Small reddish-brown fruit clusters in fall

Risk Notes

• Extreme structural failure risk — narrow V-crotch branch unions lack bark inclusion resistance
• Most trees split catastrophically at 10–15 years of age
• Now banned from Georgia nurseries due to invasive spread
• Reverts to wild callery pear (thorned, invasive) through bird-spread seed

CREPE MYRTLE

Lagerstroemia indica

ID Features

• Smooth, peeling, multicolored bark — tan, gray, cinnamon
• Crinkled petals in white, pink, red, or purple in summer
• Multi-stemmed vase shape; fine-textured foliage

Risk Notes

• "Crepe murder" — aggressive topping destroys natural form and creates weak regrowth
• Topping leads to clusters of weakly attached water sprouts that break off in storms
• Powdery mildew and aphids are common but rarely fatal
• Minimal structural risk when properly maintained

AMERICAN HOLLY

Ilex opaca

ID Features

• Spiny, glossy evergreen leaves with wavy margins
• Bright red berries persist through winter (female trees only)
• Dense, pyramidal to oval crown; smooth gray bark

Risk Notes

• Among the lowest-risk trees for structural failure in GA
• Dense evergreen canopy can collect ice in winter storms — minor risk
• No significant disease or pest threats in the Southeast
• Very rarely poses hazard to structures when not over-planted