Is this tree safe?

[Perkins]

There are no signs of disease but clearly the tree has a major defect in the shape of the two large splits in the bark at the base, one of which runs the full height of the tree. The bleached hearwood is peppered with woodworm.

 

Dying/dangerous?

 

Thoughts please.

[RobArb]

has it been hit by lightning?

[Stephen Blair]

lightning strike maybe.

[Paul Jenks]

Looks like an old lightening strike. If it's got good leaf cover and is fairly sheltered it should stay up. Often quite alarming surface defects only go in an inch or so and the structural timber is fine. Have a look to see if the decay goes in a long way at any point. Even then it doesn't always mean the tree will fail soon.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

polyporus squamosus is going to eat this tree alive with a wound like that!

 

its got little long term future, and the damge while small now, with the decay that will be significant, i would remove it.

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Good comment Hama, but only if the Poly gets to it otherwise the tree could be fine for a long long time.

Bit more detail required before felling, I think.

[skyhuck]

polyporus squamosus is going to eat this tree alive with a wound like that!

 

its got little long term future, and the damge while small now, with the decay that will be significant, i would remove it.

 

[scotspine1]

its an old lightening wound, check out wall 4 of CODIT making an appearance just under the bark, difficult to access the depth of the decay from sight alone - reduce to 15 ft monolith (monitor annually) and leave to re-sprout, that trees got at least another 200 years left in it.

 

The discolouration of the wood at the base of the tree is a concern -

Edited April 22, 2011 by scotspine1

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

its an old lightening wound, check out wall 4 of CODIT making an appearance just under the bark, difficult to access the depth of the decay from sight alone - reduce to 15 ft monolith (monitor annually) and leave to re-sprout, that trees got at least another 200 years left in it.

 

The discolouration of the wood at the base of the tree is a concern -

 

Tosh, sorry, the existing sapwood bands are not enough to generate a new skin before decay has it away.

 

Lightning strikes on small diameter trees like this especialy diffuse porus ones will cause them to rot off like a fence post, that is common and basic.

 

Sycamore is a poor manager of decay, and this one is going to become very well decayed. The pale surface colouration hides a damp layer beneath, where decay agents will have a mad hatters tea party in the continuosly damp zone caused by the wicking effect of dysfunctional wood in contact with the ground.

[RobArb]

Sycamore is a poor manager of decay, and this one is going to become very well decayed. The pale surface colouration hides a damp layer beneath, where decay agents will have a mad hatters tea party in the continuosly damp zone caused by the wicking effect of dysfunctional wood in contact with the ground.

 

 

 

I thought it was an aesculus:blushing: