That’s the aftermath of tree trouble by Lincoln Park‘s north parking lot. According to tips and photos from readers, that tree lost a big limb – right onto at least two cars, accordiing to AmyC, who sent this pic:
No injuries that we’ve heard of – photos show Seattle Fire Ladder 13 on the scene, but their call was simply coded “assist SPD” rather than a medical/injury response. P.S. WSB archives show we covered something similar six years ago.
How often is this happening to evergreen trees in that area? I ask because we lived in that area just off Fauntleroy two years ago and the trees in our back yard started losing limbs at an irregularly rapid pace right before we moved. I’m wondering if it’s some sort of blight impacting trees in that zone.
Do we need to plan for watering our thirsty evergreen trees as the climate warms and summers get dry??
Yes! I’ve been thinking this for a while. The last “tree assessment” the Parks Department did showed the need for water. That’s just in parks, but all city properties should be watered for the sake of trees.
https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/conifers-%E2%80%93-especially-doug-firs-%E2%80%93-are-suffering-droughtAn interesting article from Oregon. It may apply to WA now.
The tree that lost a limb looks like either an Atlas or Deodar cedar, and they are prone to dropping branches. That said, trees are suffering everywhere, notably conifers in Washington state. Climate change is to blame, causing both heat and drought. While summer drought is common around here, the extreme and prolonged heat is the likely cause of dying conifers. The heat dome in 2021 actually burned the tops off of entire forests. Water alone won’t help, and forests can’t adapt when the changes are happening so rapidly. There’s no magic wand that will fix this.
I think this has a lot to do with our decreasing rain yearly totals. What thrived in wetter weather does not do so well during dryer times. The liquid Amber sweet gums drop branches as they prefer wetter environments. More trees are starting to fall and drop limbs.
Paws up north in Lynnwood is collecting branches with leaves for the wildlife that they are helping to heal.
Trees lose limbs all the time. Nothing new at all. I have 3 acres of forested land near Sequim. So many limbs fall after a wind storm every winter that I had to invest in this huge wood chipper implement that goes on my tractor. After my last mowing in September, I attach it and it stays on the tractor all winter. I have to go out a couple times and chip up multiple branches some 6 inches in diameter and 20 feet long.
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