Lightning protection for trees sounds exotic, but for a large, valuable oak standing tall over a Birmingham home, it is a practical piece of long-term care. A system gives a lightning strike a planned path to the ground so the energy does not travel through the wood itself, which is what splits trunks and blows bark off.
Each system has three main parts. An air terminal is fastened high in the main leader of the tree, a copper conductor cable runs down the trunk with fasteners designed to let the tree keep growing, and the cable connects to ground rods driven into the soil away from the root flare, with branch conductors added to major limbs on larger trees. Installation follows industry standards for tree lightning protection, and the system is checked periodically as the tree grows.
It is best suited to tall, isolated, high-value trees near homes, historic trees, and trees that have already been hit once. ACE's ISA Certified Arborist can tell you whether a specific tree is a good candidate. Is there a tree on your property that stands noticeably taller than everything around it?
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Real photo of a lightning protection installation on a large oak, showing the copper conductor running down the trunk, or a climber installing the air terminal in the upper canopy. Do not caption or tag any individual by name. Avoid stock lightning imagery.
Canva text suggestion: "A Copper Path From Crown to Ground" or "Lightning Protection Built Into the Tree"