Woodshed Wonder 01: The Injured Poplar

Towards the end of our working season, when the mornings get dark and nippy, the Woodpeckers can be found surrounding the wood stove (coffees in hand). Us tree nerds love to muse over each interesting log before we throw it on the fire. For the newer recruits, it becomes an impromptu lesson on tree biology based on the findings of “the Father of Modern Arboriculture” Alex Shigo. We thought it would be fun to share our “woodshed wonders” and unpack how they came to be, with the help of our friend Shigo.

Kevin Anderson, owner of Woodpecker Tree Care, was given one of his first lessons in Shigo’s teachings from instructor and researcher Tracey Mackenzie. Tracey is an assistant professor in the Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences at Dalhousie, and encouraged Kevin to examine his woodshed for valuable lessons on the inner workings of trees.

Our first “Woodshed Wonder” comes from Kevin Anderson’s pile: a poplar with telltale signs of an old injury.

But how do we know that this poplar was injured? It’s with the help of our trusty guide, Alex Shigo.

Poplar removal in Centre Village, NB

Woodpecker Tree Care is dedicated to keeping trees alive and healthy, but sometimes the only thing left we can do for a tree is cut it down. Cutting a tree is always a last resort around here, but with this particular job it was the only option. This gigantic poplar is a hybrid that grows to great height at rapid speed. If it had been given another ten years, it could have doubled in height. Unfortunately, it was planted too close to a house and was dangerously leaning over top of it, so we were hired to respectfully and safely help this 60 foot beauty fall.