Question
QUESTION: This  maple about 20-25 years old, mostly shady area about 15 feet tall usually very healthy. It looks like a large screwdriver gouged a straight area (6 to 8 inches) on 2 large branches. The bark has peeled away(about 2-3 inch diameter) Some parts have a few pill bugs,but not all. The leaves are all out and look healthy, but they are a funny color green,not the usual maple red.
Any ideas?
Would a photo help?
Thanks very much!

ANSWER: Yes a photo would help I am leaning toward a lightening strike.

There are many variables to consider, including the species, moisture content, and relative health of the tree at the time of the strike and the intensity of the strike.

Lightning can strike just about anything tall, but trees do seem to be a frequent target. And the same tree can be hit more than once. Moist tissues, which are vessels for water and carbohydrates just inside the tree bark, are better conductors of electricity than the drier wood in the center of the tree. The electrical current creates intense heating, often resulting in the bark virtually exploding off in large strips. Some trees may explode from the center of the tree, while others may have a narrow, but long, split in the trunk. If the surface of the bark is soaked with rain, the current may travel outside the trunk, resulting in less damage.



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QUESTION: Thank you sooo much for your quick answer. I thought it might be a disease. What can I do to help it heal?Can I put anything on the open areas?
Why are the leaves miscolored?
Thank you  I will try to e-mail a photo.

Answer
About all that needs to be done is remove any loose bark from around the wound and the tree will heal itself. I would spray the wound with an insecticide called Merit this will protect the wound from borers getting into the trunk.

The color of the leaves is effected by light, moisture and the amount of nitrogen in the soil. Light usually being the most common.
Japanese red Maple leaves turn from red to green when the intensity of light is decreased.


Most if not all varieties of red leaf plants lose the red color if the leaves are in a shaded area. This causes the new upper most leaves to become very red and the leaves that are shaded by other leaves to become green. Once these trees are given more space the red color comes back.

As the Fall approaches the leaves will turn from green back to red.

With all the grafts and selections of red maple and Japanese maple leaf color has been known to change with the seasons. The drought will also effect the color. This sounds normal to me.