sail
Sail is the effect created when ivy transforms a tree’s canopy into an unbroken surface that catches wind instead of letting it pass through — a condition that can bring down trees that have stood for centuries.
In a healthy tree, wind moves through the natural gaps between branches and leaves. When ivy’s dense, year-round foliage fills those gaps, the crown becomes a solid wall. When a storm moves through the San Lorenzo Valley, that wall catches the full force of the wind. With nowhere to escape, the force drives down through the trunk. Lateral roots snap. The tree topples — taking with it the nesting cavities, canopy structure, and food web connections that cannot be replaced on any human timescale.
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