Sugar Maple Decline; Probable causes?

  • 6 Mar 2025 2:13 PM
    Quote
    Message # 13471505
    Marc McCreary

    This Sugar maple tree had a beautiful canopy in 2022, and is located behind one of our barns. I noticed the same degradation over the same time period with 1 other sugar maple in the same fence row. What generally causes gradual crown dieback without any physical damage? 

    We have many large, 100+ year old maples nearby and Im worried that what ever caused the decline in this tree will spread. 

    The bark looks very dark with thick white blotches, at first I thought it was lichen but now thinking it might be something else. 

    Picture below is the canopy in Aug 2024


    2 files
    Last modified: 6 Mar 2025 2:14 PM | Marc McCreary
  • 21 Mar 2025 1:02 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 13477435 on 13471505
    Olyvia Foster (Administrator)

    Hello Marc,

    The tree may be reaching the end of its lifespan. It's difficult to tell from the photo, but one of our foresters thinks the white blotches may be a type of lichen that's of no concern. The tree does have some open seams and V-shaped unions.

    Our team says if you want a detailed assessment of the tree you could contact a local arborist with a plant health department/specialist. The Ontario Tree Marking Guide also has information on tree defects.

    https://docs.ontario.ca/documents/2807/guide-treemarking.pdf


    Last modified: 21 Mar 2025 1:28 PM | Olyvia Foster (Administrator)

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