Yesterday's storms took out a large heavy limb off my favorite tree! After examining the tree it looked like the tree was hollow inside as well as the limb! Yet the tree is full with leaves. Luckily it missed my new shade garden I started this spring. But my large pretty hanging basket got smashed.
Here is the gaping hole on the tree!
Bye Bye Basket of flowers!
Holy cow! Glad the bed was spared. It's very pretty. I'm sorry about the tree and the basket.
Gee, are you going to have to take down the tree? How close is it to your house? So glad it didn't do more damage.
By the way, what kind of tree? And I seem to recall when you have big hollow areas like that, it's a bad thing for the tree. I think that contributes to limbs falling easier. Something about the tree not being able to get as much water to the canopy as it needs? I forget where I saw that, but I think that once the hollowing out process shows up (fungus entering from injuries to the bark?), it's too late to stop it. I could be wrong, though.
We've got a huge silver maple quite close to the house. It's a bit of a nuisance with the all the helicopters, although they mostly drop in our neighbor's yard. :) I suppose at some point it would be a good idea to remove it, because if it or one of its big limbs go down, it could hit either our house or the neighbors. But it's my favorite. I just love this tree. It's got beatiful bark, provides great shade, and has a great shape with a great big ol' lower, more horizontal branch about 5-6 ft. off the ground. It's been a few years since we've had an arborist come out to get the dead wood out. Probably should get on that.
Storms are predicted tonight. Hopefully not damaging.
winging
WWOOWW!
Sorry to see that!
We just got a taste, a little rain, lightning but no wind.
We had that problem w/ ours a few years ago.
Once you see that heart rot......................
That's why we had to have it removed this Spring.
Ric
Ohhh, bummer. We didn't get hit like you guys did. Sorry about your tree!
SouthernOhio - I think we will have to cut it down or something as if it were to fall on our house, it will certainly hit it. We built in an already established forest where the trees in competing for sunlight grew very tall 150 -200 ft tall with their canopies way on top. It has a full canopy of leaves and you would never know that there is anything wrong with it. I always called it the belly button tree as you can see by the picture. I knew that there was a hole in it but I did not think that it was hollow all the way inside.
When trees die on our property. I never cut them all the way down. Instead I make something of it. I would have it carved except now that it is hollow it would be impossible.
Here is the belly button tree.
winging,
I don't know much about trees. I thought it may be a sycamore tree but I am probably wrong. I will have to take a closer look again. I stuck my camera inside and with flash took this picture looking down inside of tree.
Think it's a maple moonlit.
Does the bark peel off in patches? That would be a sycamore.
I'll check at the Pondarama.
Ric
I agree about leaving a stump. I think a hollow tree can be attractively decorated around also! Keep in mind bugs & location to house.
but I saw one turned into a mini elfin home or gnome home! LOL or just a bunny wild life thingy with mini pond & such. They were cute.
LOL! A bunny spa! Actually I started to plant this shade garden and fairy garden this spring. I guess I could keep carrying on the same theme. The only problem is that with the tree gone, there would be no shade and now I am going to have to figure out what to do with the shade plants.
yea we have started planting a few trees under our bigger trees to keep the shade going when one dies. We have a giant elm.. that could have been gone years ago... but it keeps hanging in there. we were thinking quick growing understory trees, papaw & dogwood. the pawpaw is doing a good job.
Tho, we have apple trees , I always wanted an apple tree up by the house... It could be messy, but It is such a pretty tree.
Hi Moonlit.....
Another thing you could do with your tree...is to put some soil in that cavity and then plant in it. They can be so pretty done this way. Just a thought!
Cool pic, moonlit! I love interesting shots like that. Hope you've recovered from all the storm damage. Just in case anyone's wondering, I think I'm responsible for all the rain late last week. I heavily watered just the day before. Sigh
;)
Moonlit-
I am so sorry about your tree! How sad.
If you need/want to trade some shade plants for those for sun, just let me know.
I seem to have the opposite problem. One of my trees has grown a lot in the last 5 years and is now shading out some of my sun-loving perennials.
Only thing is, I can't do hostas. Too many deer.
ROX
I think I probably will plant inside the tree. A few years ago at the Cincinnati Flower show they had a hollowed out tree like that and they took a stretched rubber skin and made a drum that kids could pound. LOL I can see my beating the drums especially when I walk out and see that the deer have eaten something.
LOL! Winging so you are the one I need to blame. Today we chopped up the limb into firewood. Will have to do the tree soon if we keep having these storms.
Thank you Rox for the offer. Will have to figure out what to do with the garden. I know what you mean with the deer. I also live here in deer country. Just ask Ric! The deer are out in the heat of day as well as night and they are not even scared when you drive or walk by. They just kind of look at you as you are an intruder. We have a doe in our yard with three fawns!
