I think my pine got struck by lightning...can I save it?

[Paschale]

Hi all,

I went out today to mow the lawn after many days of insane storms.  I saw a bunch of debris in the backyard, and then looked up and saw this:

http://www.youtube.com/v/BSL-nnUsCFA

What do you guys think?  Is it toast?  It's about 80 or so years old, and it's one of the reasons I love where I live so much.  I fear it's a goner...   :-\

[scsmith42]

Paschale, I've never had a lightning-struck tree survive on my farm, but I know others have fared better.

If it were me, I'd keep a close watch on the tree and if it starts dying, cut it up while it's still solid and make something for your home out of it.

Scott

[WDH]

Pines don't usually fare well.  I don't hold out much hope for the tree. 

[Tom]

I have had pines survive after a lightning strike that ran the outside of the tree.  They show a lot of signs of stress though and the bugs will get them unless you are right there with the insecticide.  Even then, it's a flip of the coin. 

Your tree looks like it took the strike deep into the wood.  I agree with WDH that will probably not make it.  The good thing about wood though is that it "lives forever" in our minds.  Make something of it to remind you of the tree.  Use parts of it in construction and write on the sides of the lumber what happened, your name and date.

When you get it down, plant another. 

[Dodgy Loner]

What kind of pine is that?  I would have called it a spruce.  Either way, it looks like it's probably toast.  That's a severe strike, I'd be very surprised if the tree survives.

[Paschale]

It very well could be a spruce.  I'm not well-versed in my conifers...but regardless, it would appear that it's going to have to come down.  I figure I'll wait to see what a year brings however.  The will to live is strong, but in this case, I think the lightning was the death blow.  But man...there's a LOT of lumber to had from that thing!  It will be pretty knotty however since for a long time it had branches up and down it's entire length, though they were trimmed off about 20 or 30 years ago.  I'm going to try and get a big slice from the bottom...I think it would make an incredible wall clock for the basement TV room.  I've already been thinking of redeeming it by making some furniture from it, or perhaps doing a wainscoting up half the wall in the basement. I think that would be an excellent use of this tree, and tell the future owners of the house the story of where the wainscoting came from.  I'm not going to worry about taking the stump out either--even though it's in the very back of my yard, it could be turned into a slick serving table for food.

Still, I'll miss it when she's gotta come down.

[Phorester]

I think it's a spruce, too, but be that as it may, I'd give it a month.  If it's still alive then, I'd give it until the end of next summer.  If it's still alive then, it will probably make it. 

[Paschale]

I'm going to be putting some of those fertilizer spikes in the ground around it this weekend, and making sure it gets plenty of water in the meantime, to at least help it along as much as I can, along with a few kindly words when I'm back there.  Tree huggers don't know true tree lovers, right?   ;)

As far as the gash, I'm willing to slap an insecticide or pitch, or anything that might help give it a fighting chance.  Should I try anything like that?

[BaldBob]

"As far as the gash, I'm willing to slap an insecticide or pitch, or anything that might help give it a fighting chance.  Should I try anything like that?"

Absolutely not. Such practices tend to cause more harm than good.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, to it being a white spruce. It looks like it took a "good hit"; you just need to see how it does through this growing season if it doesn't become a hazard or risk to anyone.

[Phorester]

As far as the scar, just cut off the splintered wood and bark to prevent insects from using those crevices for homes and to prevent moisture from being trapped underneath wood and bark slivers, which would cause rot.  Smooth the wood inside the scar as much as you can for the same reasons.  It's wood, so you can use a wood rasp, chisels, spoke shave, sandpaper, etc.

I wouldn't paint it with anything.  Mixed opinions on using tree wound dressings, but most experts say not to.

[Paschale]

Thanks for the suggestions and replies on my white spruce (glad to know what the tree really is!).  I'll go ahead and clean up the scar, getting rid of the crevices and watch and wait for a year or so.  My folks had a white pine that survived a lightning strike, but in that case, it killed the top.  Dad had it lopped off, then faithfully put the fertilizer spikes in each March and it's now thriving and even grew a new top.  This wound is different, though, wrapping around the tree, and deep, so we'll see.

At this point, it's a waiting game.   :-\

[KGNC]

I had a nice red oak near the house to be struck last week. It had a strip of bark missing about 4" wide from top to bottom but it wasn't very deep. At first I thought maybe it could survive but when I pulled on a loose edge of the bark it came off of about two thirds the tree diameter as high as I could reach. So I just got out the Stihl  and cut it down.

[Brad_bb]

I presume that when the lightening strikes, it instantly boils water in it's path.  This will then create a sudden build up of pressure and the tree explodes  or splits, relieving the pressure.  That exposes a lot of sap wood to drying out, beetles, and rot.  I'm not sure what the spruce can be used for being that it's so knotty.  I have two blue spruce that were blown down in a storm last summer.  Soft water logged ground picked up the root feet too, not damaging anything on the tree.  So I peeled  them and have them in the barn, fairly dry by now.  I might use them for timber posts later on, not sure yet.  I'd recommend you figure out what to use that tree for and cut that tree before it just becomes a mess.  If you end up wanting to saw it, great, cause then you don't have to do the work of peeling it.  Trust me, not a fun job on a sticky sap laden summer spruce.

[Paschale]

Well, my spruce lasted almost into 2009.  It was looking fairly healthy--nothing dying above the scar from the lightning, and a full top of green boughs.  I was hopeful as we headed into winter, curious what the cold weather would do to it.  Well, in the past week we had a crazy windstorm, and I awoke the other day to see the top of the tree lying in my backyard.  Amazingly, it didn't hit my garage, or my neighbors' garages, which it could have done, and didn't do any damage at all.  I'm sad to see it go, but it will be a fun excuse to get some buddies together and fire up some chain saws.

I'll post some pictures soon.

[cheyenne]

I had a huge white pine get zapped right next to my house in 04 opened the bark from top to bottom and so far she's doing fine. My ears are still ringing from that hit.....Cheyenne

[petefrom bearswamp]

My very bad!
Sold a lightning struck Cherry several years ago to a cutter for firewood price.
Told me later he got veneer price of (at that time) $350.00 for it
Ouch! The lightning  must have just gone around the outside.
Pete

[Chuck White]

Pete;
Lots of times, the lightning will strike and follow the sap wood and not bother the heartwood at all.

Chuck

[thecfarm]

Pete,I wonder how that Cherry log looked after it was oened up?Sometimes it's fine,but most of the time it is not.Looks fine on the outside,but the inside is a mess.

[Mooseherder]

That plant on the ground is an airplant that got blown off it's perch. :D
I cut down my lightning hit Pine for the Fire Pit because it was died after this strike.
It burned great, a lot of the same characteristics as when they're fat lightered.
Wish I had some more of it for today.  The wood pile is way low.
My neighbors tree that was involved in the same strike is dead also.  He hasn't cut it down yet.
My little Homelite is too small for it and the Stihl is at the Camp. :(