Tree hit by lightning - what now?

[VeloClone]

A couple of weeks ago a tree in our front yard was hit by lightning. It is a little leaf linden that is about 2 feet in diameter. The lightning created some random cracks in the bark in the bottome 20 feet of the tree but more devastatingly it blasted the bark pretty much clean off in an area about 5 feet high and 8-10" wide at the bottom of the tree. I found chunks of bark across and down the street over 100 feet from the tree. I trimmed off the shredded bark in that area but what should I do around it? Should I remove, leave or try to fasten tight the loose but intact bark on either side of this area? What should I be doing to help protect the tree? I know when I was a kid I saw people paint open areas like that but I haven't seen that for years so I'm guessing it really doesn't do any good. Should I proactively apply pesticides or fungicides?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Gonzo]

Make a baseball bat out of it, name it "Wonderboy" and get yourself a tryout in the majors.

 

[Turn2]

I have a notion it might eventually be fine with no intervention. I assume the canopy is okay? Consult an arborist.

 

[michaelrr1]

I had bark damage from a car that crashed through my fence and into my tree years ago. I used the paint stuff, but can't say if it helped. But the tree turned out fine and grew around the damage. That spot looks like a couple of butt cheeks covering the damage.

 

[VeloClone]

I have a notion it might eventually be fine with no intervention. I assume the canopy is okay? Consult an arborist.

Canopy is okay. You can't see anything until those new cracks in the bark I mentioned at about 20 feet up on the main branches. I reached out to our nursery. They no longer have an arborist.

 

[ackatch]

I had bark damage from a car that crashed through my fence and into my tree years ago. I used the paint stuff, but can't say if it helped. But the tree turned out fine and grew around the damage. That spot looks like a couple of butt cheeks covering the damage.

An ass tree. Nice!

 

[VeloClone]

An ass tree. Nice!

Well if there can be an ass man, why not an ass tree?

 

[cycloner29]

Had a Siberian Elm in our back yard that got hit by lighting. Stripped the bark on one side for about 6-8" wide down one side for about 40'. Tree at the base was 5'-6' in diameter. It survived with no issues until the deracho came through and topped it out. $6,000 later to remove the whole thing.

 

[Gonzo]

Well if there can be an ass man, why not an ass tree?

It was a million to one shot, doc.

 

[CyPhallus]

Based on your description I'd give it a 99% chance of being totally fine. If it makes you feel better you can jack with trying to do things that have a marginal at best chance of doing anything positive, or you can just let it be and it'll be just fine.

 

[Turn2]

Canopy is okay. You can't see anything until those new cracks in the bark I mentioned at about 20 feet up on the main branches. I reached out to our nursery. They no longer have an arborist.

Don’t use any of the petroleum based cover-ups. They hurt more than help. Unless you can get some experienced eyes on it, I’d take it as a W and hope for the best. If it is not full grown it may eventually absorb the wound.

 

[CtownCyclone]

Make a baseball bat out of it, name it "Wonderboy" and get yourself a tryout in the majors.

 

[t-noah]

A couple of weeks ago a tree in our front yard was hit by lightning. It is a little leaf linden that is about 2 feet in diameter. The lightning created some random cracks in the bark in the bottome 20 feet of the tree but more devastatingly it blasted the bark pretty much clean off in an area about 5 feet high and 8-10" wide at the bottom of the tree. I found chunks of bark across and down the street over 100 feet from the tree. I trimmed off the shredded bark in that area but what should I do around it? Should I remove, leave or try to fasten tight the loose but intact bark on either side of this area? What should I be doing to help protect the tree? I know when I was a kid I saw people paint open areas like that but I haven't seen that for years so I'm guessing it really doesn't do any good. Should I proactively apply pesticides or fungicides?

Any help would be appreciated.

I'll bet this is a very nice tree! I would also try everything I could to save it.

My guess is your tree will survive and heal itself with time, if you help it a little. Lightining damge, though, I'd bet is a bit more unpredictable. Here are some tips I looked up:

What Happens if you Remove the Bark from a Tree - Tree Wise Men LLC

Discover the importance of tree bark and what happens when it's removed. Learn how to protect your trees and when to seek professional help from Tree Wise Men LLC.

treewisemenllc.com

Repairing Tree Bark Damage

Tree bark damage is not only unsightly but can be deadly to a tree. For all intents and purposes, tree bark is the skin of the tree. Get tips for repairing tree bark damage in this article.

www.gardeningknowhow.com

Tree Bark Repair Guide: How to Repair Tree Bark Damage - Minneopa Orchards

For a complete guide to tree bark repair, keep reading!

minnetonkaorchards.com

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[Acylum]

Well if there can be an ass man, why not an ass tree?

“You meet an Arborist at a party, don’t walk away. Plant yourself there because you will hear the funniest stories you’ve ever heard.”

 

[t-noah]

I will say this also. Trees will tend to cover over small to medium sized bark damage, maybe up to 3-4 inches, after a few years. See Post #4.

This is similar to pruning a tree branch It will eventually cover over, especially if you don't prune it too close to the trunk, leave a 'collar' where the pruned branch was, so it can grow over better.

I have used the 'paint' over method before, and it worked fine. I'm learning thru my links that this is not recommended though.

 

[t-noah]

I'm also a big fan of preemptive planting. In other words, if you have a pretty old tree (that might die in 10-20 years), or a damaged tree, that might also not live as long as it otherwise would, plant a sapling tree of your choice on either side of it.

10-20 years later, when the large tree dies, you will have fairly good sized replacement(s) to take its place. And you didn't have to spend the money on a nursery tree.

A great example of this, would be an 80-90 y/o red oak, appearing to be in good health. Some people, including me, wonder why some of the red oaks seem to die prematurely. Well, I read that often times red oaks only live to be around 100 years, some, of course, much longer. Contrast this to a white oak which might have a lifespan of 300 years or longer.

So, evaluate the health of your trees, look up the average lifespan of the species, and plan accordingly.

 

[CyCrazy]

If it isnt deep into the heart wood the tree will be fine.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Canopy is okay. You can't see anything until those new cracks in the bark I mentioned at about 20 feet up on the main branches. I reached out to our nursery. They no longer have an arborist.

Call a company like Davey Tree and see if they have a real honest to goodness arborist to take a look.

 

[cstrunk]

This thread is worthless without pics!

So here's a few of my backyard tree struck by lightning a few weeks ago. Well, to be more accurate, it struck the giant poison ivy vine growing on the tree and only seemed to damage the tree where the bolt of lightning jumped over to the tree bark closer to the ground. It seems to have actually killed the poison ivy vine. My wife saw the lightning bolt through the patio doors, unfortunately I missed it. Fortunately, the tree seems to be fine.