Wondering if it is truth or rumor that if you screw an eye hook into a tree to support a hammock that the tree will eventually die because of the metal?
We bought a house with this scenario and wonder if something needs to be done to remedy this (if possible), or if it safe enough.
Thanks!
It's safe,.assuming the tree's fat enough to hold the hammock without causing breakage to the trunk or branch. What is UNsafe is wrapping any sort of rope or wire around a tree. Eventually, it will girdle (slice into) the bark and work its way into the channels which carry fluids through the tree.
",,,,,,,,, What is UNsafe is wrapping any sort of rope or wire around a tree.........."
No what is unsafe is LEAVING a rope or wire wrapped tight around the tree from one year to the next. It is safer than trusting a hook.
"....... Eventually, it will girdle (slice into) the bark and work its way into the channels which carry fluids through the tree........."
nothing unsafe about trusting a hook, assuming you make sure to get one large enough to support the weight and you screw it into sound (non-decayed) wood. Certainly a rope tied around the trunk is not inherently harmful, but we all know how easy it is to forget how long things like this have been in place. As the tree grows, a hook will simply be covered over by the new wood (not great news for anyone cutting into the wood later with a chainsaw, but that's part of cutting suburban trees) but if a rope is left tied in place it will girdle the trunk, as was mentioned above.
To more directly answer the OP: No, the metal will not kill the tree. The only damage is the small hole drilled to accommodate the hook, and it's pretty insignificant. Leave it alone.
Keith Babberney ISA Certified Arborist For more info about the International Society of Arboriculture, please visit
Now that would depend on how BIG the person is that is reclining in the hammock! LOL!
Seriously, they are sturdy enough trees. I was concerned about a metal foreign object being screwed into the trunk and having a harmful effect on the trees down the road.
--Annie
Obviously. But, I assume most people aren't going to hang and UNhang their hammock every day. Life's complicated enough.
There are 2 hooks in my sycamore that've been supporting a rope swing for 13 years so far. Two big, fat self-tapping hooks, one adjacent to the other in case one fails. So, saying they're unsafe is just a generalization, like saying "rope's not safe for tying up a boat". Depends on the hook, the rope, the knots, etc.
I prefer to not leave the hammock hanging in the tree all the time. I put it in the tree when I feel like laying in it, then bring it back inside when I'm done with it. I have carabiners on the end of the ropes, and it takes me about a minute to loop the rope around the tree, hook the carabiner to the metal ring, repeat the process at the other end, then climb in.
I prefer not making holes in the bark when I don't have to, especially in trees I planted and have spent years taking care of.
I have seen many trees that grew too close to old barbed wire fences, that as they grew, they grew around the wire, so that he barbed wire was inside the tree, and they all continued to grow and lead healthy lives. So I do not believe that an eye hook will kill a tree.
Norman
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.