Zombie trees may be lurking in yards around central Indiana

Taylor Bennett

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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