Question
About 5 years ago, a little sumac tree just started growing in the little back courtyard of my townhouse.  I just let it grow.  Now it's as tall as the house and provides wonderful shade for the whole patio.  The trunk split toward the bottom early on, so the tree, in effect, has 2 trunks.  If I had chosen a tree to plant, it probably would not have been a sumac tree, but I have grown to love it anyway. At some point on Memorial Day, an unknown vandal came into my back yard and cut the bark of both trunks about 4 feet above the ground.  Both cuts are all the way around the trunk.  One is a "band" about 5 or 6 inches wide, and looks as if it was cut with a chainsaw - the cut is straight and clean.  The other is a jagged "band" about 12 inches wide.  The area of the trunks just below where the bark was is uninjured.  I'm shocked that anyone, much less possibly a neighbor, would do such an ugly thing.  Can you advise me on how I can treat the injury and save the tree?  Thank you so much.

Answer
Sorry there is not much that can be done to save the tree, The living layer of cells is just under the bark and if the trunk is girdled all the way around the tree this cuts off water to the foliage causing the leaves to dry up. Things that have been tried with some success are: coating the wound with grafting wax in hopes that this will stop the loss of water--also watering the tree may off set the damage. BUT the chance of success is very low. I would contact the local police and file a incidence report of trespassing and vandalism. They may not catch the person but who knows someone may have seen something. Sorry about your tree.