Re: CULT: Lightning Loss

Michael Cook wrote:
> 
>      The two Irises that were struck by lightning were not struck at the
> same time.  CANNINGTON BLUEBIRD was struck first.  TRUE VALOR was struck
> less than a week later.  I think that it was bad luck and not something to
> do with the Iris or how it was cultured.  During that time, we had several
> rounds of fierce electrical storms and tornadoes.  There is a metal chain
> link fence between me and the neighbor behind me.  Both Irises were close
> to the fence.  However, other Irises equally close to the fence were not
> harmed.  After the two were hit, all that was left was scorched earth, and
> in the case of CANNINGTON BLUEBIRD, a piece of scorched rhizome which has
> produced one fan.
>      I saw both strikes.  The fence may have attracted the charge and taken
> part of the strike.  Both thunderstorms were tornadic.  I am located on one
> of the highest locations in town, which may cause me to be more susceptible
> to this kind of thing.
>      Back in the late 1980's, I had a clump of Iris pseudacorus to get hit.
>  It lived.  It was in a rainwater puddle at the time, which may have
> diffused the charge enough so that the plant did not die.
> 
> Mark A. Cook
> macook@iglou.com
> Lexington, KY    A bad place to be in a thunderstorm.
> USDA Zone 5/6           Sunset Zone 35

Hi Mark --About 5 years ago a huge ole maple in front of my house was
hit by lightening that traveled down the tree and through several ofthe
roots (visible channels in the lawn), ran through flower beds and
rhodies, and then hit th main electric cable to my house.  The tree,
flowers and shrubs survived.  Most of my house did not.  So the natural
world does better than the artificial.
Rima terra@catskill.net
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