I have 2 tall hemlocks in the backyard. Neither has woolly aldegid (sp?). However, in the past few years, one of them has lost a number of branches, usually--but not only--in big storms, while the one that stands only about 10 feet away is strong and unbroken.
The weaker, more vulnerable tree even lost the top of its peak during a N'oreaster 2 years ago. (Now it looks like it has a bad haircut.) 2 days ago, a couple of branches came down, but this time the storm wasn't so big. We only got 1"-2" of snow, and the winds weren't impressive. So this tree is seeming vulnerable.
Any idea why one of these trees would have limbs breaking off and the other doesn't?
Also, can I do anything about it? And do I need to do anything about it? If the trunk broke instead of just branches, I'd be concerned since it's fairly close to the house.
Why does one of my hemlocks lose branches in bad weather?
Hard to know. Could be just a genetic fault in the fragile individual.
Resin
It could be that your house, your neighbor's house, other trees or some other structure provide more protection to the strong one. The branches that just fell from the weak one might have been weakened during previous storms.
Microbursts can take the tops off trees while leaving others 10 feet away untouched. That happened to a row of identical trees a few miles from my house.
Microbursts? Agreed, tho, many things can be affecting it, including just a bad spot to be planted
I probably should have said wind shear, not a microburst which would cause damage over a wider area.
i agree with Resin - one simply might be hardier. I have perennials and a couple azaleas next to each other one thrives and the other does not. moved the suffering azalea a few feet and amended the soil and had an impressive burst of growth.
as forest gump said "--it happens"..........
Thanks, everyone. They all sound like good hypotheses, including Forest Gump's.
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