For the past eight years, we’ve been caring for a Hickory tree in Buckhead. Many years previous, a lost limb led to decay deep inside of the tree. This tree was beautiful and contributed to the curb appeal of the home on a high ridge line. The home owners did not want to remove it, and we’ve worked to reduce risk from high winds.
Over the years we’ve applied a number of measures to keep this tree as healthy and safe as possible, including “thinning of the sail” – effectively reducing its tree canopy and the associated weight so that high winds didn’t cause a structural loss.
Den 6 Learns About Hickory Tree
During a cub scout exercise a few years ago, this tree was a stop on our tour to talk about maintaining trees and Urban Forestry.
Unfortunately time has marched on, and internal decay took control. This past fall, the owner noticed a few small cankers (they look like clams) growing about four feet off the ground. And, they kept growing and spreading.
By the new year we knew this was a serious problem we could not alleviate. We contacted the City of Atlanta arborist, obtaining a permit to remove the dying tree. The lesson to share today is that you can take efforts to extend the life of old trees but you need to keep an eye out for the danger signs, like these cankers. Take a look at the video for more details on what we found.
