![]() Instead, provide your tree with extra water and fertilizer to encourage its own natural callus growth response. However, studies have shown that these tactics often do more harm than good. It can be tempting to trim away the damaged area or try a wound dressing. Resist the urge to treat the wound yourself. Moisture loss is the most stressful part of a strike for most Central Florida tree varieties. Within 8-24 hours of the lightning strike, help your tree to begin self-healing by making sure it has plenty of water. We recommend consulting a Certified Arborist before deciding whether to treat or remove your tree. Note: Not all trees can be saved and many lightning-struck trees are dangerous. Most trees struck by lightning will continue to thrive, with or without human intervention, but there are important steps you can take to help minimize stress and keep your landscape healthy. To save a lightning struck tree in your yard, it’s important to take quick action. What do I do if my tree’s been struck by lightning? Clatterbuck - Associate Professor of Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries - University of Tennessee This is a natural process and the best thing you can do for your tree, in most cases, is to allow it to happen. Instead, they attempt to seal the wound off from the healthy parts. Unlike in humans, trees wounded by lightning will not heal. In general, a surface wound is less traumatic to the tree, even if it’s more troubling to the one witnessing it. Injuries to a tree’s root system are particularly troubling and can cause the tree to stop thriving and slowly die. The wounds that cannot be seen are the ones most likely to be fatal. Just like in humans, some wounds are seen by the eye and some are not. It might be fatal, or your tree might live. Biology is changed by trauma, whether you have roots in the ground or in your hometown.Ī lightning strike is a wound. Its biology is permanently changed by the electrical charge of a lightning strike. What happens when a tree is struck by lightning? In Spring Hill and Brooksville, Oak strikes are followed closely by these common types: Oaks tend to be taller than other surrounding trees and hold more moisture naturally, making them particularly vulnerable. These characteristics make them good conductors (and attractors of) electricity.Īll trees are susceptible to lightning, but studies have found that Oak trees tend to be hit more often than other species in Florida. Trees in residential areas are particularly vulnerable to lightning because they tend to be tall, filled with moisture, and relatively isolated from other large groups of trees. ![]() That’s because, according to Accuweather, Florida has over 3,200 cloud-to-ground lightning flashes per day. The state of Florida ranks higher than any other for lightning fatalities. ![]() Was your tree struck by lightning? Follow these steps to triaging lightening-damaged trees… Lightning is dangerous to humans and trees alike, so please stay indoors until the storm passes. ![]()
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