Some homeowners like the look of moss. They believe it adds a natural and “outdoorsy” appearance to the lawn. Moss also grows on trees. Is this harmless or a liability for the tree? We’ll give our professional opinion about tree moss dangers and outline whether moss growth is a cause for concern.
Moss Impacts Tree Growth
The Pacific Northwest is quite humid, providing the ideal environment for moss proliferation. Moss in itself is rather harmless. When it grows on a tree, though, it places undue stress on the branches. Moss also absorbs water like a sponge, adding excess weight.
With the added stress, branches are more prone to snapping during heavy storms or high winds. When our emergency tree service tends to broken branches, it’s not unusual for us to find moss covering the branch surface.
Moss Obscures Diseases
Another tree moss danger is that moss can conceal signs of disease. The Pacific Northwest is home to scores of pathogenic fungi. These cause lesions that compromise a tree’s immune defense. Moss can grow over the lesions, making homeowners completely unaware that their tree’s health is eroding.
What to Do About Moss?
Some homeowners rather leave the moss in place because of its nature-esque look. If you decide to do nothing about the moss, then call a tree care service to confirm that the growth isn’t leading to adverse effects.
If you decide the moss must go, you can remove it by hand. Bear in mind, however, that this won’t stop the conditions that will cause the moss to eventually grow back. Proper tree care by a professional will put any future growth to a dead halt.
We Identify Tree Moss Dangers
Moss is harmless for the most part. However, we often find ourselves removing trees due to moss overgrowth that concealed a lesion or caused a branch to break. Contact Pro-Cut Tree Service to assess a property tree overcome by moss.
Health Inspection for Moss-Covered Trees
Serving customers in Lake Stevens, Edmonds, Marysville, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Everett, Snohomish and the surrounding area
Posted on October 10, 2020 | Published by Ignite Local | Related Local Business