this split bark was caused by...

[redpowerd]

i know i should have id'd the tree, but we were spending too much time cutting and arguing about what might have caused this....



i cant remember if it was basswood bark i saw on it or maple

[bitternut]

Can't see any split in the bark. The pictures is too dark for me to see any split bark. If the tree is alive I would say that the tree was hit by lightning. Maybe you could get a better picture or give more of a description of the split and the tree.

[redpowerd]

theres five or more horizontal splits up this side of that tree to the right, the backside of the tree has none. they allmost look like an unkinked hose.

[redpowerd]

well if i cant id the bark, ill cut it down to get a twig. pretty sure its basswood though

[Jeff]

Enhanced for your viewing pleasure.

[redpowerd]

thanks jeff! guess mine was a bit dark ;D

we were thinking they were scars from being down years ago.

[populus]

They look like holes that have partly callused over. The pattern is not right for sapsuckers. I would guess a longhorned beetle (Cerambycidae).  Can you get a closeup?

[redpowerd]

ill be in that kneck of the woods tomorrow, ill get smore pics

[OLD_ JD]

are u sure that not hickery?? :-\

[redpowerd]

no, not positive.

if i have to ill cut it down, the worst it could be would be basswood.

[SwampDonkey]

The bark looks like basswood and I'de say some kind of splitting has occured at the growth nodes. I've seen this in the woods occasionally and am only guessing it's some kind of fungal infection, such as nectria (target) canker.  I'm thinking it might even be striped maple, they can grow to be a small tree the size of pin cherry.

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