A Dangerous Secret...Why Cambium is important.

This Saturday I was getting ready to go on a hike with my sister and I came upon this tree. It is a huge Eucalyptus tree. What makes this tree dangerous is its lack of cambium tissue. To the untrained eye, one might think this tree was beautiful because its canopy is green and lush with very little sign of dieback. In fact, if you did not look at the base of this tree, you would think it was a beautiful specimen. Unfortunately, that is what makes this tree so DANGEROUS!

Cambium, in laymans terms, is the outer layers or rings of a tree. It is the living tissue of the tree. It is the immune system and protection for the wood underneath it. I sometimes liken it to your skin layer. The difference is that, instead of sloughing off dead skin, a tree compresses dead cells underneath the new cells creating wood. The wood, in turn, becomes a support structure for the new live tissue to grow on top of.

Approximately 10-15 years ago this tree was damaged, and 3/4 of the way around the base of the tree, the cambium tissue was torn off or became too diseased to grow. My best guess is that, it was sprayed for many years by a sprinkler head which allowed for mold, fungus, and or bacteria to decay the living tissue (cambium).

Because this cambium tissue died and it is not regrowing quickly enough, the unprotected wood is rotting. We can also deduce that there are no roots growing on this side of the tree because the unprotected wood goes all the way to the ground. The roots that were there have long since died and are rotting under the soil. This means that this tree has no roots supporting it 3/4 of the way around its base. This spells disaster. It is a tree that lumes over power lines and has 3 residential buildings within its target zone (falling zone). I informed the tree's owner of the danger.

Try to understand that just because a tree looks beautiful does not mean it is safe. Hire a professional to look at your trees. Estimates and unofficial, residential consultations are free from Harold R Brazee Company. (818)709-3700