The balsam fir that got lit up by lightning

[SwampDonkey]

Back in 2012 we has a local tornado that was accompanied by a severe thunderstorm.

Well, we have a back yard balsam fir tree that is/was around 35 feet tall. The lightning struck it that day with the sound of canon fire that echoed across the river valley. There where Christmas lights on the tree and all that wire vaporized except tiny pieces here and there left dangling. :D

I cut the tree today to haul off, wood to the neighbours for their fire pit and brush to burn on my bonfire spot at the farm.

Some photos.



Tip of middle finger shows season before lightning strike, next ring has it's late season growth pretty much intact so the ring is same diameter as previous 2, then the last two years is slowed down to 1/4 growth each. ;D



Some pictures of bud damage, this is 3 years hence and still not recovering much, no buds, except a few pollen buds managed to grow. I bet the genes are kinda messed up in those guys. Just about neutered I'd say. ;D

More bud damage







Have a good one. 

[sandhills]

Electricity does funny things, we had 2 mature cottonwoods that were beside one another on some ground I rent that both got hit, I'd say by the same bolt?  Anyhow they are probably 36-40" dbh (also a guess) it blew chunks 6" wide by 20' long across the road into the neighbors place from both of them, haven't been by there yet to see if anything is greening up or not, I'll have to go look.

[SwampDonkey]

Yeah similar, but not same result. This tree lost a section of bark from the stump up the trunk about 4 feet, as the lightning had grounded on a main lateral root from that direction. I don't know where the bark went, wasn't near the tree. Might have went poof. :D

[sandhills]

I went by there today and they're greening up just like the rest of them so who knows  ???.  I'll try to remember to get some pictures of them.  From the wood left on the road and across the fence from them I never thought they'd come back this spring.