Can use a nail to hang a birdfeeder on a tree without hurting the tree itself?

It's a 50 year old oak tree. about 50 feet highCan use a nail to hang a birdfeeder on a tree without hurting the tree itself?
Oak trees are very finicky, but if you get the kind of nail you use to put through sheet rock (it looks like a small plastic cone) that should not have a negative effect on the cambium and phloem which is the lifeline of the tree.Can use a nail to hang a birdfeeder on a tree without hurting the tree itself?
The specific answer is yes. But the damage is minor and the tree will repair itself if it is healthy. Copper nails are not a good idea as they will cause serious damage that the tree will have a difficult time repairing. Galvanized nails, both hot dipped and electroplated, will be slower in rusting, but the zinc also makes it difficult for the tree to repair itself. Regular brites and common nails are iron and rust rather quickly but they do little damage. My preference for nails is to use aluminum gutter spikes. They're available in several lengths from about 7 to 9 or so inches. In oak you'll need to pre-drill a hole in the tree a little less in diameter than the nail. Gutter spikes are also available in iron. The nice thing about gutter spikes are they a long and thick as compared to regular construction nails. I no longer use nails. I use hardwood dowels. They're a bit more trouble tho. You'll need to pre-drill a hole the same diameter as the dowel (I use 3/8 to 3/4 '; dowels depending on what I'm hanging). The nice thing about dowels and aluminum gutter spikes is they won't damage milling equipment if the tree is ever harvested (Many of these old trees are harvested when they start dieing of old age).





Of course I'm sure you know enough to put what ever you use in at angle so the hanger won't slide off. I also use a bit of wire to secure the hanger to the ';nail'; - insurance against the wind and rambunctious critters like squirrels and raccoons.
I wouldn't if you could avoid it. Certain types of metal will cause more damage than others, but punching a hole with anything could provide a pathway for disease to invade the tree.





The hanger idea above is the best, although the galvanized nail would be the best option if for some reason you absolutely had to put a nail in the tree. Avoid any copper or copper alloy (e.g. brass), as copper becomes toxic to trees in modest amounts.
be sure the nail is serile
Yes.


Best if it's stainless steel or hot dipped galvanized so it doesn't rust away in the near term.





Galvanized's OK - a tree that size won't get heavy metal poisoning from a single nail... *g*
Yes
yes; and in a few days
You should never put a nail in a tree, as it will damage it. Your local nursery, or plant shop should have metal hangers (they come in different lengths, and are shaped like a long s). They just hang on the branch, so you can put them up and down, depending on the size of the branch, without damaging the tree.
yea, it will be fine, best to use something rust resistant.


the danger of nails in trees is when they get embedded in the wood and the tree is harvested for lumber, goes through the saw mill or a planer and messes up the equipment