Tree Scar

 The above photo was taken 2/19/18 The lower photo was taken 1/29/14 Notice a trail has been put in between these 2 dates. The length of the crack was 2' 3 3/8" below and 3' 4" above.

Why do cracks appear in tree trunks?

The more perpendicular a branch is to the tree trunk the better its strength is and won't be torn in a storm.

Wind storms can pull a tree apart as the branches are buffeted.

If there is a warm period that causes the tree to move fluid up the xylem then it freezes again this might  rupture the outer bark by the expanding of the fluid when it freezes.

If the tree grows quicker than the bark can keep up, this might cause the cracking.

If the heart wood of the tree is not exposed then the tree will remain healthy. If the heart wood is exposed, wood decaying organism will get in there and create more problems.

Heart wood is the inner part of the tree that is darker.

I don't know if any of these reasons are what is happening here, but I am glad to have found this tree.

Just as bark protects the tree our relationship with Christ protects us. There may be problems we face but if our heart remains with Jesus we remain all right.

Tree Scar

This is an American Basswood tree. There is a stems joined at the base of the tree. This is normal for Am. Basswood trees. Often there are multiple stems.

The strange scar caused me to be interested in this tree. What caused this scar to look like this? Usually scars come from dead branches that fall off. This scar does not look like this was the case.

It could be that there was a branch rubbing from one stem on the other stem. Over time they grew together and some event killed that branch and it fell off, causing the strange scar.

Acts 14:22 "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”"

Tree injuries are not good and will hinder the tree by allowing disease and pests to gain access to the tree. The trees bark will grow over the injury over time. Often that is not fast enough.

We have ability to bounce back from injury with the help of the Lord. In fact it is the problems of life that allows us to see into the eternal realm if we have eyes to see. Not that it is God's will, but God will use what comes against us for our gain.