Lightning?

How many times do we get a call about lightning damaging a tree? So is this a tree damaged by lightning? Many times over the years clients have called to say “lightning hit their tree!”

When I question them closely they declare that “they know it is lightning because they can see the black scorched portion (see photo) where the “lightning hit the tree”.

Actually what you are seeing that is black and scorched is where the tree was previously cracked and had weathered.