Very difficult to predict how a tree will respond to a lightning strike. I’ve seen trees look like yours that go on to live for decades. I’ve also seen trees with less severe damage die.
I would recommend documenting the damage for your insurance company, and then monitor the tree for a year. You may see some branches die, but if the tree as a whole looks reasonably full this time next year, it should be OK. Be aware that there will likely be wood decay in these trees in the future, because the wounds are too large for the trees to seal off quickly.
DanoPinyon
Maybe, time will tell.
Hanksta2
Scary.
Hanksta2
Scary.
mhoffman54
Probably not. There’s likely a hollow, torched out space down the middle. I’m guessing what you are seeing is the bark split from the inside of the tree expanding. I guess we’ll see, but lightning did not just gently peel back the bark there exposing perfect, fresh wood like that. If the lightning had done that the wood would be charred. Looks split to me.
5 Comments
Very difficult to predict how a tree will respond to a lightning strike. I’ve seen trees look like yours that go on to live for decades. I’ve also seen trees with less severe damage die.
I would recommend documenting the damage for your insurance company, and then monitor the tree for a year. You may see some branches die, but if the tree as a whole looks reasonably full this time next year, it should be OK. Be aware that there will likely be wood decay in these trees in the future, because the wounds are too large for the trees to seal off quickly.
Maybe, time will tell.
Scary.
Scary.
Probably not. There’s likely a hollow, torched out space down the middle. I’m guessing what you are seeing is the bark split from the inside of the tree expanding. I guess we’ll see, but lightning did not just gently peel back the bark there exposing perfect, fresh wood like that. If the lightning had done that the wood would be charred. Looks split to me.