Tree advice/help?!

Our son and the neighbor kid pulled the bark off of our redbud tree almost 2 months ago. The leaves have seemed droopy ever since and lately they're falling off. I read online that if the bark is pulled off in a full circle around the trunk (which they did) the tree will eventually die. If that's the situation with this tree, is there anything we can do to save this tree from dying? Thank you!!! 


Unfortunately I don’t think there’s anything you can do to save the tree, but it couldn’t hurt to call in an arborist for a professional opinion.  Savatree and Friendly Tree have arborists on staff.  


We had this exact issue a few years ago (also due to boys and a neighbor), and I can repeat what the arborist told us (guy from Friendly tree, FYI).  In our case, he said they girdled the protective layer, but not the circulatory system. I think we had him out to see it within a week, but the advice may well be the same.


He had us bandage the tree.  Literally.  Bought a pack of Spanish moss and gauze.  Dampened the moss and applied it as a dressing, wrapped with lots of gauze and taped around the edges to keep bugs out.  Sent the guilty kids out to spritz it with water every day or two to keep it moist.  Changed the dressing once or twice and left it on, probably until late autumn.   


We were told to water tree to avoid stress,  but not to feed it, as we didn’t want to encourage growth while healing.  Our tree survived (a dogwood we love)...best of luck to yours.


some cut off a couple inches around a number of trees in my friends neighborhood...was told they wouldn't survive, but they are fine (it was about 2 years ago)...but it was a smaller section missing


It all depends upon how deep the cut is.  If the cut takes both bark and the circulatory layer below, the tree dies.  The fact that the leaves are still on the tree after 2 months is a decent indiction, that it will probably live.


Thanks, Everyone! Friendly Tree will be out this Friday AM for a visit to see the "patient." I'll let you know what they say!


To close out this sad chapter, we waited for signs of life this spring, but our Red Bud tree definitely has gone to heaven. Thanks to everyone who had offered advice. RIP...


sorry to hear that it didn’t make it.  Thanks for the update



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