Lightening Struck Oak

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kiwigal Bel Air, MD(Zone 6b) Jun 09, 2006

In a recent thunder storm (the one that got me stranded in Boston) my 12-year-old oak was hit on the trunk. There's a big black burn mark about 3 feet from the ground, and there's a 1/8" wide crack from the middle of the burn going up about 10 inches. What should I do? Try to seal the crack? Nothing? This has grown into a really nice tree about 25 feet tall and I'm hoping to save it.
Any suggestions are welcome.
Kiwigal

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Lucky_P Hopkinsville, KY(Zone 6b) Jun 10, 2006

Nothing.
If it actually took a lightning strike, it'll either die pretty rapidly, or will recover uneventfully. Nothing you might put on the 'wound' will make things any better - and, in fact, may actually impede 'healing.
What you've described doesn't sound like any lightning strike I've ever seen, but perhaps it is.

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liveoaklady Metairie, LA Jun 10, 2006

Do nothing. It will heal itself if it is not mortally wounded. If lighting really got it, it will turn brown at about six weeks.

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PrairieGirlZ5 Thornton, IL Jun 10, 2006

My neighbor's cottonwood tree was struck by lightning on Memorial Day. Unfortunately it didn't kill it, how come?

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kiwigal Bel Air, MD(Zone 6b) Jun 10, 2006

Thanks to all for your suggestions. I was personally in favor of the "wait and see" approach, and it seems that the experts agree with me! I'll keep checking to see whether it begins turning brown. I'll be so disappointed if it does.

Lucky, I wasn't here during the storm, but my adult son was, and it's he who reported the strike. The blackness on the trunk looks like a burn,. bur perhaps it could be some kind of nasty mildew.

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Resin Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a) Jun 10, 2006

Just consider yourself lucky it wasn't like this one!

Resin

More pics:
http://www.pinetum.org/lightning.htm

Thumbnail by Resin
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Lucky_P Hopkinsville, KY(Zone 6b) Jun 11, 2006

I'm not saying that it's not a lightning strike, just doesn't sound like the typical damage. They usually have a lot more than a 10"-long crack - I've seen 'em literally exploded, or at least have huge chunks of bark blown off - or a linear split in the bark from the base as high up as you can see, sometimes with dirt blown up away from the roots.
Sometimes they brown up and die within a few days/weeks, but I saw a water oak this weekend on my parents farm that I witnessed take a direct hit 15 years ago - I've got slides of it somewhere - and today, the split in the bark is visible, but well-healed, and the tree looks fine.

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