During Tucson monsoons, lightning can strike anywhere, including the trees you have grown and carefully maintained. Lightning can damage your trees in a number of ways, which are discussed below. Be sure to consult your Tucson landscaping company if your trees have suffered a lightning strike.
A Lightning Scar, or Loss of Bark
One of the most damaging ways lightning may affect your trees is by causing a lightning scar. A lightning scar occurs when a tree loses its bark as a result of a lightning strike. This particular problem may not directly kill the tree, but the tree can suffer sickness or insect infestation because of the loss of bark. If the tree cannot recover, it will most likely die from the sickness or infestation.
Explosive Destruction
It has been found that if a tree has more moisture in its core, then it is likely to be blown apart if a lightning strike hits it. This is due to the conductive nature of water. The lightning will follow where the moisture goes on the tree. If a tree has most of its moisture located within the trunk, then the tree could possibly blow apart and probably die as a result. There is one inconsistency that has been found in trees that had bark soaked with rain. These trees were found with very little damage. It has been suggested that the lightning followed the rain outside of the tree and ended in the ground.
Loss of Limb
Trees may not blow apart or lose their bark, but lose a limb instead. Depending on the extent of the damage, the tree may be salvageable. Your Tucson landscaping company can assess the damage and conduct the necessary repairs to save your tree.
If your tree has suffered a lightning strike, then give Complete Landscaping a call at (520) 323-8918. We specialize in tree care, as well as lawn maintenance and landscaping in Tucson, AZ.