How NOT to attach wire to a tree

Here is another of those maintenance nightmares that we at NightScenes come across on a daily basis. The fastest way to attach a wire from a lighting fixture to a tree is with a fence or romex staple. Unfortunately, it’s also the worst possible way to attach a wire to a tree.

Let’s first remember that trees are living things. A big issue with using a staple driven directly into the tree is that the staple will allow the tree to actually grow around it and wire, consuming both as the tree grows. Most people don’t realize that trees grow a lot like people: out, getting bigger around the trunk and branches; and up, getting taller through the top. As the tree grows out, expanding, it will cover the staple and pinch the wire in the tree which will cause the wire to break and short circuit. Another serious problem is the metal composition of the staples. This metal can poison and kill the tree.

The proper way to attach the wire to a tree is by using stainless steel screws and nylon zip ties. First, the stainless steel will not poison the tree. You know that stainless steel is used by doctors and surgeons when attaching inside the human body, and that’s exactly why we only use stainless steel in a tree. As the tree grows out, it will break the nylon zip tie and allow the wire to float free on the tree, not consuming it or causing an electrical problem. Our maintenance team is trained to look for signs of expansion so the screws can be manually backed out of the tree allowing for growth. In the case of rapid growth, or little maintenance in this part of the lighting system the tree may indeed swallow up the screw, but the stainless steel won’t damage the tree.

Our teams go the extra mile to insure that we not only ensure that the down lighting can be maintained properly, but we also do all we can to be sure the tree is going to stay healthy as well.