Laurel Oaks in Orlando: Why They Fail and When to Remove One

Drive any older Orlando neighborhood and you'll see laurel oaks: tall, fast-growing, semi-evergreen shade trees planted by the thousands decades ago. Many of those trees are now at the age where they start to fail, and they're behind a large share of the limbs we remove from roofs after storms.

Why laurel oaks fail

Laurel oaks grow quickly, and fast growth comes at a cost. They are shorter-lived than live oaks and commonly develop internal decay as they mature, often hidden inside a trunk or major limb that still looks fine from the outside. Weak branch attachments add to the risk, especially when heavy limbs reach out over houses and driveways.

Warning signs to watch

• Mushrooms or shelf fungus on the trunk, root flare, or major limbs.
• Cavities, hollow sounds, or soft, crumbly wood where branches have broken off.
• Large dead limbs in the upper canopy or a canopy that's thinning year after year.
• Cracks or seams running down the trunk or at major branch unions.
• Sudden lean or cracked, lifted soil on one side of the root zone.

Live oak or laurel oak?

Live oaks have rounder, thicker leaves and broad, spreading, low-slung limbs; they're long-lived and among the most wind-resistant trees in Florida. Laurel oaks have narrower, shinier leaves and a more upright form. If you're not sure which you have, we'll identify it as part of a free assessment.

Prune or remove?

A younger, sound laurel oak can often be made much safer with structural pruning: shortening heavy limbs over the house and removing deadwood. An older tree with significant decay near the house is usually a removal, and it's far cheaper to take down on your schedule than after it falls.