Cut a cherry today and when unloading, I noticed this dark ring on the trunk pieces. Don’t normally pay that close of attention, but found it interesting. Anyone able to offer some insight?
There is a fungus that will do that too. Many times you can knock that center piece out when you split it. I've seen it in maple, ash and oak. You'll know for sure when you split it.
Not sure but it is interesting. I dont pay much attention to the rings unless i happen to notice something different...knot pattern etc. Black locust ive been hoarding can have some wide growth rings.
I was dealing with some big oak trees a few years ago, and ran into the same thing. The center was solid, but had a strange ring that came apart when splitting. That center core was much harder to split than the wood around it. Guessing it was from a fire many years ago.
May be a combo of either disease or fire with being wind shook. Bond between year’s weakened and bending stress breaking the weak bond in the wind. Does it follow far up?
Now I see an experiment. You guys should count rings and see if you can estimate in what year that happens. I’m guessing Mount ST Hellens eruption was the issue.
Good thought. You know the trees i was deaing with. I'll have to see what condition the remaining stump is in. Once the snow goes away.
I’m just being lazy. I need someone to count the rings in the pictures and to know what year the were last alive and figure out when it happened. I’m just the idea person
Is that a form of ring shake? A cup or ring shake follows the line of annual rings. The separation of the rings is generally caused during the growth of the tree, either by a check in the growth, or by bending and twisting under high winds.
I’ve seen separation from heartwood. It’s caused by torsion, or bending of the trunk. I like getting some big heartwood splits. They should sell for $5 a piece.
You are on point with this. If the grain separation propagates beyond the tree’ s growth height based on the ring count it can be assumed it was a ground fire.
I’ll have to see when I split them if it separates. I’d be surprised if it did just by looking at the suspect growth ring. Still seems pretty tight, but I’ll let you all know. None of the pieces I saw showed any signs of separation yet.
From looking at the picture, I’m coming up with 25 years but I’ll try and remember to verify tomorrow. I’ll have to ask around to see if there may have been a fire there. I admit I don’t pay that close of attention to the rings normally, but haven’t noticed similar patterns on trees from same area. I’ll be looking now though. I cut an oak today as well that I didn’t get out. I’ll check that tomorrow and see if it has a dark ring anywhere.
I am thinking Ring shake. I found this. It is well documented that the bacteria enter the tree first, cause weakening, and then with the wind blowing or other traumatic stress, the wood "shakes."
At first I was nodding about both the fire damage and wind being potential culprits. But after a bit of thought regarding the fire, and after having burned many an acre....that dark ring seems to be the whole ring, all the way around the tree. If fire had damaged the tree that much, it probably would have died shortly thereafter, within a couple years. Usually when I see programs where they are referencing fire scars to date things with tree rings, the fire scars are relatively small compared to the whole tree. Just a thought.....
It would depend on damage to the cambium layer. If there is any live cambium, the tree will try to recover. Cherry trees can be mostly rotted and diseased and continue to grow epicormic shoots. I agree it could also be canker damage. Trees are amazingly resilient and will do what they can to survive abiotic and biotic assaults.
