Hi, this is my first post in this section of the forum ( I post in Chainsaw). I am NOT an arborist. This is an oak in the front yard of my (deceased) parent's house in Memphis, TN. I climbed it about 45 years ago when I was learning ropes. The house has been rented out for about 3 years. We are restoring it and I was rather alarmed when I examined it recently. In the pictures you will see that it leans. It has always leaned slightly; I don't know if it has been leaning this much. What worried me is the gap between the roots at the side away from the lean and the ground. The gap allows you to see that the base of the tree is hollow. There is scar tissue (not sure if this is the correct term) at the site of a previous split in the bark, visible in the photo of the roots away from the lean. The canopy is healthy and has good sunlight. A couple of major lower branches have been removed in previous years. The reason for the gap at the ground is not entirely clear. The yard was not well maintained and the soil may have eroded. Also, the tree may have increased it's lean, causing the gap (or both). If the tree were to fall in the direction of the lean, it would most likely not cause damage to structures. Also it would probably hang up in the canopy of a nearby oak.
Photos:
Roots away from lean. The bulbous roots are covered on the underside by scar tissue and bark, indicating that they have been this way for a while.
View through gap, showing hollow base.
Roots from east, south, west (showing lean):
Canopy:
Photos:
Roots away from lean. The bulbous roots are covered on the underside by scar tissue and bark, indicating that they have been this way for a while.
View through gap, showing hollow base.
Roots from east, south, west (showing lean):
Canopy:
