Character 1 yr 2 yr 3 yr 4 yr 5 yr 6 yr 7 yr Trunk attachment to ground/ sturdiness Very sturdily anchored in the ground Still sturdily anchored in the ground Trunk very slightly loose Possible to rock the trunk slightly. Thick roots are still firmly attached Trunk will move around in the ground, but it's still not possible to pull out of the ground Trunk easy to pull out of the ground Hardly anchored in the ground. May just be resting on its prop roots Small roots Not brittle Starting to dry, not easy to break Dry and fairly easily broken Break off easily May crumble easily Crumble easily or no longer present Often no longer present Large roots Not brittle Roots still sturdily attached Roots still sturdily attached Roots are dry and break with force Roots are dry and break easily Roots dry and easy to break, but thickest roots are still strong Only the thickest roots remain Color under root bark Green or bright red No green left, red color is now dark Dark brown Dark brown or black Dark brown or black Dark brown or black Dark brown or black Color under trunk bark Green or bright red No green left, red color is now dark May still be dark red or already dark brown Dark brown or black Dark brown or black Dark brown or black Dark brown or black Bark Smooth and attached Dry and can be peeled off, but still attached Bark is cracking, but will not peel off on its own Bark on roots still attached, but very crumbly Root bark crumbling off. Trunk bark mostly cracked and may be peeling Root bark totally gone, trunk bark cracked and can be peeled off in thick layers Bark on trunk extremely cracked and falling off in chunks Color of exposed wood on trunk Yellow with some gray Gray. Usually more brownish than gray, but may vary Dark brown May be as dark as almost black Black Black Wood wetness, peel bark with knife A bit of damp, only on bark under roots Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry