How would you nail into an oak tree?

[Julles]

I want to move a medium-sized staghorn fern, and hang it against the trunk of my live oak tree.  It's on a hanging metal base that is flat on the back.

I keep hearing about not nailing into trees, because it can harm the tree.  But, gee, will one galvanized metal screw really cause damage?  Is there another safer way?

The only alternative I can think of is to rig chains from branches and the trunk, and arrange it so it rests against the part of the trunk where I want the fern, and then hang the fern by an "S" hook.

Whatchathink?

[Kittyzee]

How big is the staghorn?  I have one but it's not that big.  Are you wanting to be able to move it in case the temperatures drop?  I would probably get some chicken wire and wire it up against the tree holding it that way.  I don't know if screws or nails will hurt an oak tree.   

[fishin4cars]

They do make plastic screws for sheetrock.  I don't think that would hurt a tree either.

[Mikey]

I can't imagine a steel screw causing significant damage to a tree considering all the trees that have survived hunters shooting them up and landowners nailing "No Trespassing" signs on them......

I do have one thought however.  I understand that our California Oak does not like the area near the trunk being kept moist because a fungal problem will develop.  We are quite dry here with low humidity, thus our staghorns need regular misting or watering in order to look well.  I'm not certain if that will be an issue for you.

[miguynmkoi]

I think I read somewhere that a nail or more in a tree trunk would not hurt the tree but they didn't specify tree types.  I know there are many people around here who just nail everything into a tree, including Hammock hooks and tree houses.

I happened to take a photo of a staghorn fern in my brother's neighborhood that is hanging on a magnolia tree.  These people used strings of all types to hang a few platters of staghorns.  Sorry second photo of a huge mounted staghorns is so blurry - fingerprint a bit greasy on cellphone!

[Kittyzee]

Greasy fingerprint or not--that's one big, honkin' staghorn!  I'm jealous!!  (again... )   

[Indiana Karen]

I wouldn't think it would hurt the tree, only the value if you were planning on selling it off as a timber tree.  We nail things into the trees in our yard all the time...............but hubby wouldn't let me nail anything into a tree in the woods...........because they have "value" whether we would ever sell them or not. 

[Mikey]

Karen:  Is the concern the trees in the woods about damaging chain saws and other wood working tools or because the nail causes discoloring and physical damage to the tree....or both?

Our son, a woodworker, retrieves free "prize" trees that folks have cut down and uses the wood in various projects.  He has a metal detecting device he always uses on each piece of wood to detect nails and staples to ensure he doesn't damage his wood working tools.  A "prize" tree for him would be an olive tree or the base trunk of a walnut tree.

[Julles]

Thanks, guys.  I think I'll just go buy a big ol' nail and hammer away, without fear of hurting the tree.

Mikey, after Hurricane Ike, people would drive around and volunteer to remove fallen trees from people's property and from across streets, and would haul them off to be used for various projects.  And in Galveston, a sculpture artist got famous by carving the killed trees in people's front yards and in public spaces into various figures.

http://www.galveston.com/treesculptures/trees/

I do volunteer work at a previously-abandoned cemetery for freed slaves, and we are culling out many "volunteer" trees and other brush, and he's going to carve one for us, too.

http://www.collegeparkcemetery.net/ 

[Mikey]

Wow!  America really does have talent.....

[miguynmkoi]

Like Mikey said!  Wow that's a lot of major carving!

[Esther]

One or two nails/screws is not going to significantly damage your tree. Yes, it will leave a scar and probably eventually grow over it but so what. We have a tree in the back yard that has a trunk that is maybe 3' high and then it splits off into two trunks. Somewhere along the line before we moved here 40 years ago, someone layed a heavy piece of chain across the V. When we moved here the tree had begun to grow around it. Now the chain is embedded down maybe a foot from the V of the tree.

[Indiana Karen]

Julles, those carvings are something else, I love the heron one!

Mikey, its physical damage to the tree.  A lot of logging is done around here for hardwood trees.  A good veneer tree goes for big bucks.  

We have a very dear friend that does carvings.  He is in his 80's and in a wheelchair, paralyzed when he was in his early 40's.  He decided he wanted to do some tree carvings, so we supplied the trees.  He kept the first one and gave us #2.  It is white oak, sixteen inch diameter.  I would love to have it outside, but hubby insists we keep it inside so it doesn't crack and discolor.  Most of our guests come in our backdoor, so this greats them.  It's not exactly my "cup of tea" but it means a lot to us.

[Julles]

Karen, that is super.

Now, how on Earth does that guy maneuver himself and his tools all around a heavy tree trunk, with him being in a wheelchair?  My, the things some people can do!!