Article for Arborists
How Moss Can Signal the End for a Tree
When a tree is coated in moss, its beauty is often enhanced. An emerald carpet of moss on the bark of a tree lends a touch of magic or fantasy to a garden or yard. However, despite its obvious aesthetic appeal, moss can also act as something as a portent of doom when it spreads over much of a tree's structure.
While moss doesn't always spell the end for a tree, it can contribute to a tree's death. If your tree is covered in a carpet of moss, you need to be aware of the possible risks. Your moss-coated tree could be in perfect health; then again, it may not.
Moss Can Weigh a Ton
Since moss is able to thrive in all kinds of conditions, especially those that are dark and damp, it can grow just about anywhere. The shaded trunk and branches of a mature tree offer the perfect environment in which moss can thrive.
However, because moss soaks up water like a sponge, during storms or wet and windy weather, it can cause a tree's branches to snap under the strain. Moreover, water-saturated moss may also unbalance a tree, causing it to lean. During a heavy storm then, the chances of the tree uprooting increase.
Moss Hide's a Tree's Condition
In Japan, moss is prized for its beauty and this is demonstrated by the abundance of gardens with moss as their centrepiece. Unfortunately, a carpet of a moss on a tree, while beautiful, makes it difficult to judge the tree's condition. If a tree is old, for example, and disease has set in, you might not see the damage until it is too late.
The tree could then become a hazard, or it may simply die before you realize what has happened.
You Could Remove the Moss
Small patches of moss will rarely be a concern. However, if moss has spread throughout your tree, you can remove some of it by hand to reduce the strain on the tree. This will also help you to identify any other issues, such as disease, before they worsen.
Remember too, that moss loves shade. Your tree may benefit from a pruning by a professional arborist. Pruning the tree will let in more sunlight and decrease the amount of moss that grows on your tree. If your tree is filled with dead twigs and branches, however, as well as a thick carpet of moss, it may be about to die. In this case, removal is the best course of action.
Moss can be beautiful. However, it can also be deadly, unless monitored.