Totally weird! Branches living with no cambium!

[masterarbor]

I removed two branches on a sugar maple yesterday that were alive and vigorous and there was absolutely no living connective tissue to the trunk. It defies all that I know concerning cambium function. The tree was likely hit by lightning and all of the bark blew off one side. It is beginning to compartmentalize. I'd say the wound is 3 years old. After removing the limbs as a hazard mitigation, upon finishing the cuts I examined the tissue. All old holding wood. I took my handsaw to the old wood behind the cut and no live tissue-no bark-nothing. One theory is that it recently receded from the limb, but the wood is oxidized and both sides have a sufficient callous. Sorry no pictures. I know most of you will assume I missed something- but for the meantime I'm calling it a miracle. Anyone with a similar experience?

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Hddnis]

Nothing in the middle of the branch? I've seen branches that had folded around themselves, usually on the bottom, the outside was dead but there was live tissue in the middle still feeding leaves out on the ends.




Mr. HE

 

[371groundie]

could be porcupine chew. the wood would still get water to the leaves, the absent cambium would just keep the sugars from traveling to the rest of the tree for growth. ive seen quillpigs darn near strip a tree.

 

[Bearcreek]

Its extremely rare for us to get porcupines here in Ohio. I've heard of a few in the northern half of the state but I doubt they get down around Columbus.

 

[Scottscape]

good that I finally see a local here! I've got a couple refs. from ya and never thanked you, appreciate it! One was a maple this past spring that had some real bad cavitys and needed to be remove the the H/O was not hearing it so was going for a crown red.

As far as the your experience I can't say I've ran into anything like that

 

[ClimbinArbor]

sounds to me like the sapwood was still moving water to the limb(s).

ya know of course the cambium isnt the only "live" cells in the tree yeah?
see symplast.....

 

[Bermie]

Hey!!! I was pruning the Surinam Cherry (Eugenia uniflora) in my garden yesterday and came across the very same thing! Fancy that!

A branch is completely girdled, and has a totally dead section, I mean NO bark, dried out totally...above it is live bark and leaves, granted it looks a little sad but still alive. The phloem is all bulgy where the sugars have been accumulating at the bottom...

I cut it off to take a picture, I'll try to photograph it and post it asap.

I know here we will deliberately girdle casuarinas to kill them, the idea being that they die slowly, allowing the plants around and beneath them time to adjust to the changing light and wind conditions...amazing how long plants and plant parts can survive after being girdled...

 

[outofmytree]

Reminds me of an experiment that Alex Shigo used to demonstrate his theory on energy storage in trees. He would prune a branch in winter then after the thaw place it in water and watch it bloom. (Treevet always knows which book these things are in). Perhaps theses branches are doing something similar, using stroed starch to sustain a weak but obvious canopy?