Standing water or spongy, saturated soil over the root area for days at a stretch. Leaves yellowing between the veins, and wilting while the ground is still wet — wilting in wet soil is the tell — plus curling, drooping, and early drop. New shoots come in short, and some species redden early. Later: dieback at the top, water sprouts on the trunk, a sour smell from the soil, and mushrooms at the base. In severe cases soil cracks in an arc on one side of the trunk or the root plate lifts, which is a different and far more urgent sign.
Within days
48 crews near Beech Grove · Free estimate · No obligation
Roots need oxygen, and water fills the pore space that delivered it. The tree is suffocating rather than drowning, and fine absorbing roots die within days in oxygen-free soil, so the tree shows drought symptoms while standing in water. Past the root loss, saturated soil shifts chemically and favors water-mold pathogens like Phytophthora that attack the root collar. Saturated soil also grips a root plate far more weakly than dry soil does, so a tree that was stable last week may not be this week.
This is normally a hazardous tree removal job, which around here runs $800 to $5,000 depending on size and access. Treat that as a range, not a quote — nobody can price it without seeing it.
1138 S Drexel Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46203
“Dave and his friendly crew cut down 4 trees, trimmed/thinned 7 more in 2 days! Great communication, quick response time, great price compared to…”
Jon Caudle · a month ago · Google
1632 E Thompson Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46227
“I had a fantastic experience with arborist professionals by widest tree experts! They were professional, punctual, and extremely knowledgeable. From…”
bradley ketchem · 11 months ago · Google
1917 S Franklin Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46239
“Larry showed up in the morning and gave me an estimate that was fair. His crew was showed up, same day, and knocked out the job in a couple hours…”
Rick Oncale · 3 months ago · Google
5360 Cordes Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46227
“Jesse was awesome -- he showed up on time, worked quickly, and safely removed 7 hedge stumps that I had cut down a few months ago. He used a shield…”
Missy Bigler · 11 months ago · Google
385 S Franklin Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46219
“Paul came out for an estimate. Later same week,Paul and his crew of 6 worked hard and did a complete pruning and shape up of my 30yearold oak. The…”
Steve Worden · 7 months ago · Google
269 N Shortridge Rd Apt 3, Indianapolis, IN 46219
“Requested an estimate on Yelp from several tree management companies for my daughters property and Alex showed up on time to provide the estimate, he…”
SK 214 · 8 months ago · Google
325 E Banta Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46227
“Highly recommend! My home unfortunately came with an invasive mulberry tree that was only inches from my roof corner; due to location and species it…”
Stacey Windhorst · 2 years ago · Google
4035 E Stop 11 Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46237
“They were 1 of 3 tree companies (highly regarded) I called for estimates after a storm took down a huge limb in our backyard. 1 never called back, 1…”
Wendy Foley · 3 years ago · Google
507 S Post Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46239
“I give this company 10 stars!! We had turned in the fact that this huge tree at the NW end of a church's lot prevented drivers from safely crossing…”
Amy L. Allison · a month ago · Google
1812 Elmhurst Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46219
“I called Benjamin Tree Service after receiving their flyer in the mail. We set up an on site appointment for the very same day I called (Friday). We…”
Jane Smith · a year ago · Google
1407 W Epler Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46217
“I’ve used them twice now at two different properties. I’ve been in the green industry for 30 years. These people know what they’re doing, they do it…”
Steve Wicker · 3 years ago · Google
1251 U.S. Hwy 31 N, Greenwood, IN 46142
“Our pear tree broke in half and was blocking part of our neighborhood road. These guys came out quickly, trimmed the fallen branch down and removed…”
Steve Sewell · 4 years ago · Google
Distance measured from Beech Grove.