October 19, 2021

Zombie trees may be lurking in yards around central Indiana

Zombie trees appear to be alive but die from the inside out. - Courtesy of Davey Tree Expert Company

Zombie trees appear to be alive but die from the inside out.

Courtesy of Davey Tree Expert Company

Indianapolis arborist Mike Volz said this year, in particular, he is seeing more zombie trees -- trees that look alive but are dying from the inside out.

“You can notice something seems to be a little bit off with the tree. It might have to do with something like root decay or damage to a root system or something like that,”  Volz said.

The causes of zombie trees vary.  Volz said weather events such as lightning, windstorm or a hard freeze can contribute to a zombie tree outbreak. Texas experienced a rash of zombie trees in February after a surprise deep freeze.

Volz recommends having a trained professional examine the tree to determine whether it can be saved.

Contact WFYI Morning Edition newscaster and reporter Taylor Bennett at tbennett@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @TaylorB2213.

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