Lightning Trees Portland OR

[treeseer]

I'm going to be in northern Oregon, Mt Hood to the coast, Feb 7-8. I'm looking to visit trees that have been hit by lightning, especially those that have been managed and are doing well. If you know of any, please let me know. Below is one protocol for managing lightning-struck trees. I'd like to hear about others.

1. Aerial inspection. Tap the bark with a mallet to determine whether it is detached from the wood. Measure the detached areas. Probe any cracks in the xylem with a thin instrument to determine the depth.
2. Consider the species’ relative tolerance to lightning strikes, based on its compartmentalization qualities, grain pattern, and genetic vigor.
3. Consider the individual specimen’s vitality, and its location relative to people and property. Assess the risk.

Present treatment options to the owner, providing a prognosis of recovery if the treatments move forward. If the owner decides the risk is acceptable, these steps can be taken:

1. Reattach the bark if it is still moist inside. Thin bark may move enough if it is wrapped tightly for a few weeks with plastic wrap or duct tape. Thicker bark may be reattached with fasteners such as staples.
2. If the bark cannot be reattached, it should be trimmed—“traced”—back to the point where it is attached to the xylem, so there will be no hollow area as the bark grows over the wound. This applies to all the bark, from the top of the tree down to the buttress roots below the earth surface.
3. Treat exposed xylem to repel insects. Reapply as needed
4. The soil around the roots, especially those that carried the current, should be aerated as needed and inoculated with beneficial microorganisms such as mycorrhizal fungi. Any mineral element that is lacking should also be supplemented.
5. Mulch the root system 2-4” with organic material, and irrigate as needed.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Remember Hoyt Arboretum I mentioned - in Portland?

Teaching tree care today, we were in my site's album, briefly looked at the image of a conifer struck by lightning in Hoyt Arboretum. I'm guessing a Douglas fir or grand fir.

Has to be that - damage is on the north side away from sun, in fairly dense shade - wide stripe runs way up tree. It's not a huge tree, but it's fairly big.

I don't recall exactly where it is, but I remember this:

It's in Hoyt arboretum on the north side of the road of the arboretum. And it's on the uphill part of that area, probably not too far from the road. One section of the arboretum is on the south side of the road with more of a parking lot - the tree is not on that side of the road.

Call Collier Arbor Care in Portland. If anybody is going to be able to tell you where some specific lightning damage trees are, Terrill Collier or one of his arborists should be able to.

Google "Collier Arbor Care" - Top-notch service; well-reputed in the trade. He'd be my first pick of resources.

My wife and I discussed moving back north just outside Portland's west suburbs, or near Seaside - about 3 years from now.

When you get there, you may understand why I want to move there in a few years.

You will see it without leaves on some trees, but there are still plenty of ferns and evergreens.

 

[treeseer]

Call Collier Arbor Care in Portland. If anybody is going to be able to tell you where some specific lightning damage trees are, Terrill Collier or one of his arborists should be able to.

Google "Collier Arbor Care" - Top-notch service; well-reputed in the trade. He'd be my first pick of resources.

Thanks for the reminder Mario; I am in touch with them. See the cover story here http://www.treecareindustry.org/PDFs/TCI_Mag_Nov_05.pdf
as an example of excellent arboriculture. Makes the story on page 32 look pretty lame in comparison. :blush:

 

[treemendous]

In the news recently.
co-champion Sitka Spruce near Seaside oregon.
It was hit by lightning some years back.

 

[winchman]

International Symposium on Trees & Lightning

I am thinking about going to this symposium in March, in Florida, and was wondering if anyone reading this thread was going to attend.
Our crew deals with lightning struck trees on a nearly weekly basis. We have a lot of liability issues, so our main strategy with struck trees is to take them down when we find them. We usually find the new ones quickly, the old ones are somewhat more challenging to see after they have had time to compartmentalize.
We do install a lot of lightning protection systems, however. We have a lot of really big trees to take care of and we installed seven systems last year. It's a drop in the bucket, but copper's expensive.
:rockn:

 

[treeseer]

We have a lot of liability issues, so our main strategy with struck trees is to take them down when we find them.

We have the same issues perhaps, but our main strategy is to preserve them, according to client needs. That's what I'll be talking about. The Bartlett guys will be covering disclaimers etc. No one wants to get sued or be held responsible for damage later on, but there are ways to deal with that, as with any service we do on large woody objects that can fall down and kill you. .

we installed seven systems last year. It's a drop in the bucket, but copper's expensive.

$.77/ft. is what I was quoted, but between IPC's discount and copper surcharge it's hard to say exactly what the going rate is. Anyway, the material cost looks like a drop in the bucket compared to removal/replacement expense. See attached quote--anyone can get a materials quote for trees you want protected from lightning strike, just contact IPC.