Surprisingly, a tree that has been struck by lightning won’t necessarily die as a direct result of the current ; it could live for a while, even with extensive injuries. However, trees that have been damaged by lightning might die from secondary causes, such as insect infestation or decay.
WHY LIGHTNING STRIKES TREESin an open areanear a body of wateron the edge of a forest or stand of treeson a mountainside or hilltopgrowing close to a buildingwith electrical lights strung from the branches.
What happens to a tree struck by lightning?
Help the plant make up for the moisture lost by supplying lots of water. Fertilize the tree. Prune dead and broken branches, without going overboard. Inspect the tree for exposed wounds as these might attract pests and tree diseases. Monitor its health regularly to see if there are any hidden issues.
Yet another question we ran across in our research was “Does a tree burn when lightning hits it?”.
If the lightning passes through the tree from the top down, it travels through the trunk and into the roots before dissipating in the earth, leaving no evidence of burns on the trunk or branches. Suddenly wilting leaves and twigs lose color and flexibility. They shrink and turn brittle, then drop in a matter of days.
What kind of damage can Lightning do to a tree?
These species are commonly hit by lightning: Birch and beech rarely get hit and, because of that, suffer little lightning struck tree damage . Lightning damage in trees varies widely. Sometimes, a tree splinters or shatters when hit.
Can a tree survive a lightning strike?
Sure they can survive a lightening strike . Sometimes parts will die, sometimes the whole tree dies, sometimes there’s a crack thru the tree etc. The lightening needs to go to ground, takes the path of least resistance.
If only one side of the tree shows evidence of a lightning strike, the chances of the tree surviving and eventually closing the wound are good. However, when the strike completely passes through the tree trunk, with splintered bark and exploded wood on each side, trees are usually killed.
When lightning hits a tree, damage can range along a scale from minimally invasive to explosive. As soon as lightning strikes the tree, water in its cells can start to boil causing steam to form. The expanding steam can explode, cracking bark or even stripping it off the tree.
How can you tell if a tree has been struck by lightning?
Signs that a tree was struck by lightning The tricky thing about lightning damage is that it can be very subtle, if not completely unnoticeable. Lightning strikes the inside of a tree, targeting a layer underneath the bark that we can’t see. So it’s not uncommon for a tree to look totally normal for days or even weeks and then slowly decline.
This of course begs the query “What to do if your tree is struck by lightning?”
A few more items to take a look at are: always prepare your trees for storms, get all broken branches removed & the tree pruned, and with emergency tree services.