We all saw the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, which is both heartbreaking and sobering, and now I’m writing in the immediate aftermath of Milton, which has left more of Florida devastated. Jacksonville has been relatively lucky, yet again.
During Helene, two large trees in our street, a southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) and an oak, species uncertain, dropped huge branches which fell across power lines. Looking at the downed branches of the magnolia stacked by the side of the road, there’s not much to show why it lost them. Where the branches were attached to the tree, the trunk looks healthy. Hopefully it will stay that way, but with the bark ripped away, the tree is more vulnerable to pests and diseases. The oak is another matter. Some of the heart wood is dark and streaky, which could signal rot. The structure of the tree was also poor. Branches were closely placed on the trunk, and there was probably some included bark in there. This is bark that grows in a tight crotch between competing trunks or branches, gradually pushing the tree apart, weakening it and allowing water to infiltrate. For a better understanding, check out this article: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP507…