What causes there's a root wrapped around the base of my tree?
Almost always a planting error set years or decades before symptoms appear. Roots that circled inside a nursery container or ball keep circling after planting. Planting too deep buries the flare so new roots form above it and grow back across the stem. Mulch piled against the trunk does the same thing. A hole dug in heavy clay with glazed sides deflects roots around the perimeter instead of letting them run outward. Poor nursery stock combined with deep planting is the standard pairing.
What you'd see
The trunk enters the ground like a post or telephone pole, with no flare spreading out at the base. Often one side of the base is flat or slightly pinched inward instead of bulging out. Sometimes a root is visible crossing the trunk or disappearing into it. Above ground, one side of the canopy thins, carries smaller and paler leaves, or turns fall color weeks ahead of the rest of the tree. Overall growth slows and the tree looks older than others its age nearby. Maples and lindens are the usual subjects.
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