I would be interested in learning more about the disease and Monkey Trees. We have two large trees near our garage. They are spliting up the sides; we can see inside one of them. Haven't been able to find anyone in our area that can tell us what is wrong with them. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Jodi
I have attached three photos; one of each tree and one of both of them to show the height. We are not sure how old they are; but they are the tallest ones in the area. Thank you!!!
Maybe frost crack or drought crack? Looks ugly, but as the trees have healthy crowns, I'd not be too worried at the moment.
Unlikely at the moment; but might be worth getting a professional tree consultant in to check them for any decay every 5 or 10 years.
So, are the cracks on the same side of both trees? The last picture looks as though two things are going on. Was that tree ever hit by a vehicle? Even lightly backed into? Relevant to the pictures, which way does your prevailing wind come from during storms? When did you first notice the damage?
Hi! The cracks are on the NW side of both trees. We noticed this last summer and have been watching it. The larger of the two does seem to be spreading vertically. The wind does come from the NW direction most of the time, which I never thought about before. They have never been hit as far as we know. We bought the house almost eight years ago and they weren't there then. We love the trees and would hate to loose them. Thank you for all the information!
Keep them irrigated well during the summer. I've read that the bark of these trees can get quite dry at times. I am speculating that as the high winds blow, they have caused the cracks on the tension side of the tree. Monitor their canopy for signs of decline or dead branches. Look for signs of disease, like conks etc. You would benefit from an assessment done on site, by an ISA Certified Arborist who is also a certified Hazard Tree Risk Assessor. Look for one here www.isa.com
