Question
i have a china berry tree approximately 55 years of age and 40feet in height we live in southern california in the last few months we have had 3 smaller branches break  and drop off could my tree be sick i have never seen this happen before and have been around this tree since it was first planted any advice would be greatly appreciated  thanks

Answer
Small branches breaking is not usually a sign that there is a health problem. There are a couple of insects that lay their eggs in small branches and then  chew the branches off. The chewed end looks like a beaver has cut the branch. BUT these usually are numerous not just a few branches. It does not sound like the tree has a problem. As long as the foliage is green and healthy looking there does not seem to be a problem. A round of fertilizer may help the overall health of the tree--use 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good.