Why Is My Gum Tree Shedding Bark

Decorticating bark can be seen in many species all year round with long flakes of old bark seen hanging from the crowns of trees.

Why is my gum tree shedding bark. Like a crab shedding its too tight shell a tree must shed its old bark shell to make room for the new larger tree within. Gum trees in particular stand out because of the way that they shed their bark. This bark shedding is called decorticating and is a normal thing to see especially with smooth barked gum trees such as sydney bluegum spotted gum and ribbon gums hence their name like eucalyptus viminalis. Trees that have peeling bark.

Trees grow and when they do the outside must expand. It is a strong and majestic tree. Bark falls off after excessive heat which like frost damage strips bark down to the wood. Department of agriculture hardiness zones 5.

As the tree sheds its bark it also sheds any mosses lichens fungi and parasites that may live on the bark. If you see bare wood or mats of fungus under the peeling bark the tree is suffering from environmental damage or disease. Causes of falling limbs on a sweet gum tree. The most common cause of tree bark loss is that it is growing out of its skin which must be shed to allow its trunk to enlarge.

Some peeling bark can perform photosynthesis contributing to the rapid growth and overall health of the tree. Stem girdling roots are a major issue when planting a nursery bought tree. If you see bark covering the wood after the old bark peels away the tree is probably undergoing a normal shedding process. Stem girdling roots are a pr.

Sweet gum trees liquidambar styraciflua grow in a narrow pyramid shape to heights of 75 feet in u s. A tree with peeling bark doesn t always indicate a problem. A tree book i have on my shelf cited below says. Reason that the bark is peeling off of a mature tree.

Shedding eucalyptus tree bark may help keep the tree healthy. In younger trees the outside bark is generally softer and more flexible and can accommodate the growth. Over those years i ve admired this beautiful tree. The large spotted gum tree in my little back yard sheds its bark each year and after ten years of living with it i finally learned a valuable life lesson from it.

In other cases tree bark may fall off due to insect infestation. Some stringy bark eucalypts grow masses of thin walled cells in the bark so when it dies the bark breaks into strings of loosely attached fibrous bark. Bark falls off an unhealthy tree which means you d see other signs of stress such as cankers sap or dead leaves and twigs.