Our Japanese Red Maple tree graced our house for 36 years. But after the Blizzard of 2022 and a Spring with a number frosts, our Japanese Red Maple tree stopped looking like the top photo and degenerated into the middle photo. Diane finally contacted an arborist who came out and looked at our sick Japanese Red Maple tree. He started pulling bark off the tree and looking at the wood underneath. “This is all dead, ” he said. And, then the arborist shocked us by saying, “I think this tree has been struck by lightning.”
There were two sections of the tree that were barely alive. The arborist gave Diane two options: we could remove the dead parts of the tree and treat the remainder next Spring with hormones and see if it would live. But Diane decided to take option 2 which was remove everything. And that happened Monday.
Al’s Tree Service showed up and a team of four workers brought down the tree and removed it. They also had a machine that ground up the stump. They were done in 20 minutes! The lead worker said, “Wow, now everyone can see the front of your house!” Diane will be talking to our landscaper next Spring to figure out what should take the Japanese Red Maple tree’s place.
I thought it looked fine without leaves! How do magnolias do in your climate? I’ve always thought they were handsome trees!
Bob, magnolias do well in Western New York. We have plenty of trees in our neighborhood!
I hate losing trees. Especially any tree as pretty as that!
Dan, Diane was very attached to the Japanese Red Maple. It would not surprise me if she decides to plant another Japanese Red Maple tree next Spring!
What Dan said.
I hope you can replace it with another lovely tree, both for its beauty and its ability to cleanse the atmosphere. (If you were living in Florida, it probably would be replaced by a Starbucks or a Tire Warehouse, because I think that’s the law here.)
Jerry, we have plenty of Starbucks and Tire Warehouses here, too! But, like you, I prefer trees.
It’s always a shame to have to have a tree taken out, but, having had two trees (at different times) crash onto our roof, John & I a few years ago made the decision to remove all four trees that towered over our house. Yes, things looked bare for a while—but not worrying about losing our roof every time a severe storm passed through was worth it.
Deb, you’re right. The people who owned this house before us and planted the Japanese Red Maple tree placed the tree too close to the house. That factored into our decision to take down the sick tree.
Bummer. I love Japanese red maple trees and this one was a beauty.
Jeff, yes, this Japanese Red Maple tree was a beauty…but not in 2023. By Spring it was obvious Something Was Wrong with it. When the arborist said the tree had been struck by lightning…that was a shocker!
Jackie votes that you get another one.
Jeff, Diane is considering another tree. But the arborist suggested she wait until Spring for planting.
I had a tree stuck by lightning, The lightning headed inside took out my tv and my sprinkler system. The Comcast guy said it I had been holding the remote, it would have struck me too. So put down your remote in an electrical storm. My tree died immediately.
Patti, when a lightning storm approaches, Diane and I turn off the computer and TVs. And, stay away from the remotes!
Also—for those in warmer climes—turn off your a/c whenever there’s a lightning storm! We had lightning hit our condenser unit once—thank God the system was still under warranty. The a/c technician said that if lightning hits a non-running condenser, as long as it’s grounded, the damage will be minimal, but if lightning hits a running condenser, the entire system will be fried! The second we hear thunder, I don’t care what the temperature, we turn off the a/c.
Deb, we’ve had some very powerful storms over the summer. When we hear thunder, we shut everything down!
It’s easier to let a tree go when it’s already gone.
My backyard is full of ash trees that are still thriving because I’ve had the tree service dosing them against the emerald ash borer for years.
I did have 3 dead trees taken down because I worried that a strong wind and those trees would take down the back end of my house.
That maple was lovely back in the day but it’s time to move on. The arborist will have good recommendations.
Beth, after the surprise Snow Storm of 2006 where ice damaged a lot of trees in our neighborhood, we had four trees cut down that were too near our house. Like you, we didn’t want to have to worry about trees crashing into our house.
We have a couple of trees that someone planted as a bad joke on us and our neighbors…good shade trees, but they dump sappy microleaves everywhere, not least in the neighbor’s fenced-in pool.
We;ll finally have them taken down in spring, I think.
Todd, our problem for years were leaves from our neighbor’s tree that would clog the gutters every FALL. I finally got tired of climbing a ladder to clean the gutters so last year we invested in a leaf guard system for our gutters. So far, it’s working great!