Large limb failure in an otherwise healthy Beech

[difflock]

See photos att.

tree house put up about 15 years ago.

I reckon it was an exceptionally heavy nights rain on the fully opened leaves, after 10 exceptionally scorching hot sunny days.

Dead calm though, absolutly NO wind loading.

Combined with the fissure at the fork.

Cant figger it was excessive loading by the tree house.

cheers

marcus

To my uneducated eye tree was perfectly healthy, including the branch that failed.

I am aware of inexplicable "sudden limb drop" syndrome in English parkland generally in or during exceptionally hot weather affecting mature otherwise healthy trees.

thoughts please.

Edited June 13, 2013 by difflock

[hedgesparrow]

had same down a village i work in found a large limb across footpath same as yours had snapped from main stem rest of tree healthy. also my next door neighbors about week ago fine sunny day no wind. large horse chestnut one of the large limbs just snapped off flattened there shed. rest of tree ok as local tree surgeon had a look and looked fine. so is it all the rain then the hot warm weather making them just grow mad and limbs are just failing. also had a ceder one of its branches just lowered down across path had to cut off.

[hazforester]

Had a Mature Oak Tree do the same last Tuesday, fell on to a majir road between Kendal and Windermere.

Again had no problems, and no wind.

 

Problem now is people think the tree is unsafe and want it removed. not happy

[hazforester]

Actually make that two tree.

Large Oak shed a limb at munch landing on a car however no one was injured

[Gray git]

Same, large oak shed a big limb over a hedge at 8.45 on a still morning, was so luck it was half term as was right opposite a primary school and that side of the road is normaly full of shiny 4x4 dropping kids off, could have been so nasty!

[treeseer]

Sudden limb drop doesn't happen at forks typically, but a little ways out.

 

Limb looks like it grew excessively toward the clear area over the road, and was simply overextended. Standard treatment to reduce sprawl to lessen strain on fork.