Damage to young Redbud from fat squirrel butts

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Now that I've got your attention with that title...

We're realizing the mistake we made in planting a new Redbud (about 4-5' tall) in the autumn of 2017 right next to our bird feeder set-up. The tree handled that winter just fine and put on some nice blooms (although mostly just along the main trunk) in Spring 2018, and a lot of new growth through most of last summer.

The problem started this past winter when we saw that the squirrels were using the Redbud as their favorite perch while formulating attack plans for the feeders, and to our horror, over the course of a few days, several of the new limbs started to crack and break under the weight of the plump squirrels' rear ends.

We promptly relocated the feeder setup, and pruned the damaged and cracked limbs as best we could, but we're noticing now that the tree is not developing any noticeable flower buds this spring, whereas all of the other redbuds in our neighborhood are starting to display prominently swelling buds.

Are we safe to assume that the tree is simply recovering from the "trauma" of the squirrel damage and is putting its energy toward vegetative growth instead? The tree looks to still be alive and otherwise healthy except for the damaged limbs. I'd estimate that about 50% of the new growth from last summer was damaged/removed, but the original structure of the tree from planting time in 2017 is intact.

Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
without pix.. im not believing its related to squirreluos posterious .... .. lol ...

how bad.. or out of the ordinary.. was your winter ... often.. the buds.. though you cant see them.. are there the in the fall prior ... [else how could they bloom so early in the cold???] .... so an extreme winter.. could kill them ...

if you have other early flowering trees or shrubs ... take note if anything else lost bloom.. like magnolias... or forsythia .... etc ...

pruning would not have an impact .... the buds were other there last fall. or they werent.. which might make me about severe drought last summer????

finally.. the tree is recovering from the trauma.. OF THE TRANSPLANT .. it would not be uncommon to bloom the first season after ... as those buds were in process before shipping.. planting.. etc ... and then to skip a year or two.. or be reduced.. due to those stresses ... let alone FASs ... see if you can figure that one out.. lol ...

one other thought.... finally #2 .. excessive vegetative growth.. could be a result of inappropriate fertilizing .... but on the other hand.. that is how trees grow ...

i dont think i would worry about it all ... i tree time.. counted in decades.. it should recover.. all other things properly done ...

ken

ps: dont forget the pix of FASs .... plz ...
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
my redbud.. havent bloomed yet.. i will have to see if they bloom on one year wood ... in other words.. what you cut off ... i dont think they do.. so we are back to planting stress .. how big was the transplant ???
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sah67 (zone 5b - NY)
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Ken,

I tend to ignore your responses, as I find your writing style difficult to read, and a lot of your advice, while well-intentioned, is often inaccurate, misleading, or redundant. That being said, whether or not you want photographic evidence, the squirrels as the source of the limb damage isn't the matter in question here. My wife and both saw the damage happening live from our living room window, as squirrels attempting to sit on some of the more delicate branches fell to the ground along with the broken limb tips.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
In my area, redbud flowering can be sporadic....some years heavy and other years very little to none at all. I wouldn't be overly concerned about a big lack of flowers for one year and I believe you are entirely correct that the tree is just recovering from inadvertent squirrel "pruning" trauma :-) Here, early spring damage on trees from squirrel activity is very common and with no birdfeeders around!! Since it is far too early for any fruits or nuts, I can only assume they are using the trees as aerial highways or gathering nesting material!