Zombie trees are a thing and are very real in the state of Florida.
WESH reports Central Florida is dealing with these not-so-alive trees that, on the outside, look perfectly healthy.
Arborist Ben Wasielewski explains, “Zombie trees in general are trees that at one time or another have gotten damaged in a storm.” He said they are “all over the place.”
“You just don’t know what tree is a zombie tree, technically, until you look at them,” he continued, adding people can get seriously hurt if a zombie tree decides to obey the laws of gravity.
One such occasion happened when a laurel oak, which was struck by lightning two decades ago, suddenly split apart on a nice, sunny day and took out two cars.
He warned, “When they just want to give up, they give up. We’ve had a few calls already this year on days like today, sunny, and it just falls and it will crush a house, crush a car.”
You can look out for a zombie tree if you know the signs, such as tree heaving, which he says means “leaning at an angle.” Pair it with insect damage, brown or white rot and growths that are seeping — you may have an undead tree on your hands.
To avoid these zombie trees, Wasielewski advises trimming your trees and having a professional check them out on the regular.