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Is a Hollow Tree Trunk Dangerous?

Trees with hollow trunks evoke thoughts of fairy tales, haunted forests, and other enchanted imagery. You might aim to keep yours on your property for its visual appeal. But is a hollow tree trunk dangerous? 

Tree Care Inc., a tree service in Lexington, KY, explores what causes trunk cavities and whether hollow trees are hazardous to your or someone else’s property. No matter how your specimen looks, schedule an evaluation with one of our arborists to ensure its safety. 

What Causes a Hollow Trunk?

Trunk holes don’t necessarily mean the affected specimens are actively dying. They can provide shelter for native critters, especially if the tree in question heals well. You’ll find some positive and negative reasons a tree might develop a hollow trunk below. 

Diseases

Numerous contagious illnesses spread from tree to tree in Kentucky. These diseases often cause other noticeable symptoms if you know what to look for. However, they can eventually kill heartwood or cause significant injuries, resulting in a trunk with a gaping hole.   

Some diseases known to cause tree decay include:

  • Chestnut blight: This aggressive fungus doesn’t target the trunk itself. However, it does kill twigs and limbs. Once these structures fall, they can leave open wounds that may develop into trunk holes. 
  • Ganoderma root rot: This fungal disease primarily attacks the tree’s roots, as the name implies. However, it can also progress to the trunk, creating soft, white areas of wood decay. 
  • Rhizosphaera needle cast: This disease primarily targets evergreens, like spruce and pine. It gains a foothold in vulnerable branches, causing the affected tree to lose its needles. Eventually, the sickly branches may fall off, leaving unhealed wounds and holes.

Bacterial and fungal diseases are typically opportunistic, going for weakened or injured hosts. They can create holes or infest unhealed cavities. 

Progressive Injuries

The trees on your property can develop injuries for various reasons. Healthy trees often have no problem healing from these injuries and surviving for decades afterward. However, weak specimens are particularly susceptible. 

What causes potentially deadly tree injuries?

  • Vehicles and machinery: If you accidentally back your lawnmower or car into one of your trees, you might leave behind an impacted area. This wound might turn into a hole over time. 
  • Fallen or improperly pruned branches: Trees often struggle to heal wounds left behind from poor pruning practices or fallen branches. These injuries can turn into small trunk holes. 
  • Lightning strikes: Lightning doesn’t always kill or topple the tree. Sometimes, the impact area becomes a cavity that the tree grows around. 

An arborist can properly treat and dress tree wounds to prevent diseases from infecting the healing wood. 

Pests

Is a hollow tree trunk dangerous? It can be if beetles and other parasitic insects attack the specimen. Numerous bug species consume wood or turn the tree into a home. They create tunnel networks that weaken the trunk and welcome fungal or bacterial diseases. 

Eventually, these pests overstay their welcome and consume more resources than their host can provide. The tree may develop a cavity from excessive pest activity as a result. 

Wildlife

Cavities aren’t always indicative of poor tree health. Sometimes, they can signify something exciting: wildlife activity. Numerous local critters rely on trees for shelter, food sources, and other essentials. 

They may claim old cavities or make their own to reproduce and raise their young. Some animals that might rely on your hollowed-out tree include:

  • Woodpeckers
  • Squirrels
  • Voles
  • Raccoons
  • Moles
  • Owls

You have a front seat to nature’s show if that cavernous tree hosts local wildlife. 

Is a Hollow Tree Trunk Dangerous?

So, is a hollow tree trunk dangerous, or can you keep it on your property? First, determine whether the tree has problems beyond structural integrity. Look for symptoms of death and illness, such as:

  • Obvious fungal growths: Fungi take many shapes and forms. You might notice white, cottony coatings on foliage and bark or mushrooms along the trunk’s base. 
  • Dry branches: Healthy wood bends without breaking and contains plenty of moisture. Dying wood often feels dusty and dry, and you can easily break it off. 
  • Dead, clinging leaves: Examine the tree’s foliage. Do dull brown leaves cling to the branch? That means the tree isn’t successfully forcing leaf-fall. 
  • Clear bark damage and discoloration: Check the trunk for cracked, flaky bark. You might also notice dark, hardened cankers or soft, mushy spots. 

These symptoms can create safety concerns since the trunk and branches are at risk. The trunk could snap in half and fall on a car or building. A branch may break off the trunk and land on a person or pet. If your hollow-trunk tree seems unhealthy or dead, it could be dangerous for you and your neighbors. 

How Tree Experts Handle Hollowed Trees

Whether you think the tree appears healthy or not, you should always consult with a Lexington arborist to learn about the specimen’s risks. Sometimes, an otherwise healthy tree can have small structural issues that will cost you after a particularly powerful storm. When dealing with trunk cavities, experts typically use one of the approaches below. 

Tree Inspections

Arborists are incredibly skilled at monitoring tree health through simple inspections. They can identify current or future issues during a basic risk assessment. Then, they’ll build plans to help property owners manage or eliminate tree health concerns. 

Bark Reinforcement

Sometimes, healthy trees with trunk cavities just need a little extra support. Your arborist can install bark reinforcements to ensure security and stability. These reinforcements protect the tree from powerful winds that might topple specimens that lack robust trunks. 

Disease Prevention

Some tree maintenance goes a long way in keeping trees stable. If you discover that your specimen has exposed heartwood, you can ask your arborist about preventative measures that keep opportunistic infections at bay.

Ask Tree Care Inc. About Tree Solutions or Removal in Lexington, Kentucky

Is a hollow tree trunk dangerous? It certainly can be if it is weakened by diseases and pests. Call 859-347-2237 for tree health services in Lexington, Kentucky, before the tree falls into your yard. Tree Care Inc.’s team will try avenues to save the specimen, with removal as a last resort. Learn more now.

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