Bugs, probably Carpenter ants or termites. Did you see any on the pieces of bark that fell?

No, I haven't seen any bugs. I wondered about the water. First not enough and then downpours. Would that cause the bark to split like that? I really hope to keep this tree.

Mine's been in the ground for 8 years and I never saw the bark crack. I just did a search for pests for this species and found none to be noted.

Thanks Ricky, one side of the tree is missing bark nearly half around now. It's about 15 ft tall or better and it goes nearly half way up as well. :o(

It's near the canal, would it be affected by the salt, it's brackish water.

They don't like salt. We tried them several times on jobs in Boynton Beach and Ocean Ridge along the beach and the Intracostal. None of them lasted very long.

Maybe that's what it is then. The rest of the tree looks pretty healthy yet, just this section where the bark pealed off. :o(

Hard to say what the cause is without putting eyeballs on the tree. Could it have started as mechanical damage, bad pruning or a mower/weedeater knocking off the bark? Any tell tale signs of lightning? Is the adjacent bark wet and stinky? Is the exposed wood soft and rotten? Generally carpenter ants and termites are not the initial cause of damage but can take advantage of an opportunity and hollow out a tree.

Hi Jerry, it started as just a split in the bark and then it got worse. The bark then pealed off. It is in a bed so no damage from a lawn mower or weed wacker, & my husband knows better then to damage my trees. lol The exposed wood now seem hard and I don't see any signs of lightning. I did the pruning and am carefull not to cut the colar or tear the bark.

It almost seemed to grow too fast and split the bark. It grew to the 15ft in 2 years. But it was always strong and I never needed to stake it. Some of my other trees had marks in the bark from being staked too long and too tight. My mistake.

I am still fighting the wasps with my sunshine tree and now this. :o(