Redwood canker?

Any dieback within the crown? I’d lean more toward a soil/root issue due to its location with the water valve box (looks like old wounds to right of the box where they cut previously to access)and sidewalk and maybe a compaction issue with the way the roots seem to pop up throughout that rock/soil to the grass but I’m not familiar with west coast species/soil tolerances.
 
Crown looks healthy as a tree in that situation should look. You can see that the top broke out some time back, but a single, strong leader emerged and re established the top. IMG_0269.webp

I definitely suspect soil issues, especially with the rock “mulch”, and I suspect that soil and surface roots may have been removed from around the base of the tree on the high side when they did that landscaping. IMG_0264.webp
 
Eh could be some weird bark fungi.

Looks like ‘bottle butt’ to me and maybe sprinkler damage. Use to be thought so much decay that compression is bulging the stem. Now thought decay present and increased movement is inducing reaction wood. Worth while to find a thinner bark spot and sound it, or do all the math first then core or resistance drill to that point (or slightly beyond.
Also possible animal (cat’s favorite scratching post)
 
Evo said:
Eh could be some weird bark fungi.

Looks like ‘bottle butt’ to me and maybe sprinkler damage. Use to be thought so much decay that compression is bulging the stem. Now thought decay present and increased movement is inducing reaction wood. Worth while to find a thinner bark spot and sound it, or do all the math first then core or resistance drill to that point (or slightly beyond.
Also possible animal (cat’s favorite scratching post)
Click to expand...
I just realized that the main picture was missingIMG_0270.webp

Check that one out. Hard to see the sap droplets coming from the deepest crack in there, but it was dry looking, not like oozing.

I sounded it, but maybe I just got lucky missing the decay pocket. I have to re inspect it once a month until they finish rehabbing the sidewalks. That one section isn’t as old as the rest of the block, but it’s cracked a little now too. The rest of that block is really old and poorly asphalted.

They aren’t paying for deeper analysis than that, yet.
 
Matias said:
I just realized that the main picture was missingView attachment 102198

Check that one out. Hard to see the sap droplets coming from the deepest crack in there, but it was dry looking, not like oozing.

I sounded it, but maybe I just got lucky missing the decay pocket. I have to re inspect it once a month until they finish rehabbing the sidewalks. That one section isn’t as old as the rest of the block, but it’s cracked a little now too. The rest of that block is really old and poorly asphalted.

They aren’t paying for deeper analysis than that.
Click to expand...
Looks like a stem crack originating from the inside. Maybe the yellow is oxidized pitch/sap? Could also be some crud feeding off the sap/pitch and saprophytic.. Poke around with some piano wire, any callus?
As you know redwood is tough to sound, unless you chop the bark off first.
 
Evo said:
Looks like a stem crack originating from the inside. Maybe the yellow is oxidized pitch/sap? Could also be some crud feeding off the sap/pitch and saprophytic.. Poke around with some piano wire, any callus?
As you know redwood is tough to sound, unless you chop the bark off first.
Click to expand...
Yea the bark is thick all the way around.

That area looks like it started catching more sun than it was accustomed to when the neighboring tree had a bunch of branches come off a few years ago, so cracks from that first year getting blasted is a reasonable guess.

IDing the issue is just of personal interest. I don't need to give anyone else an answer, so if I were to get to investigate it further, it would only be if there was a compelling reason to request resources for that. That said, I always try to advocate on a tree's behalf
 
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