High winds? Inspect Your Cedar Elms (and All Trees) Afterward

With the recent storms in Flower Mound and Lewisville, it is an important to inspect your trees for limb cracks. Often a limb may crack in a storm, but not fail completely until a later time, sometimes a few years later. The cedar elm is very prone to developing longitudinal cracks in the limbs, especially the upright stems. Here are some trees at a residence in Lewisville after the recent storm:

Tree with main trunk split.
Tree with co-dominant stem split.

Make sure you inspect your trees periodically and especially after a high wind event.  If a tree splits or cracks, it can often be saved.  If you see cracks or splits, call Tree Shepherds and have an arborist inspect them to see if they can be saved or if the damaged stem or whole tree must be removed because of the risk for failure in the future.

Scott Geer

Scott Geer

Scott Geer has a master's degree in forestry from Stephen F. Austin State University and is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist.® He is also a graduate of the American Society of Consulting Arborists Academy.