Hi, 

The first photo might be Smooth Patch (page 7) but it is difficult to see in the photo and you should have an arborist look at it. 

The second photo is yucca. It is a native and wonderfully tough plant. Those stems coming up are the flower stalks. If the sharp-tipped leaves aren't too close to a walkway, its a hardy addition to your garden. You could also decide to relocate if that location isn't ideal. It likes full sun and good drainage.

The third photo, we are not sure what is going on with the trunk, whether it is a gall or mechanical damage from years ago but this would be another situation where you could ask an arborist. The ivy growing at the base is not ideal either. It is an invasive species and can really destroy trees, if left to grow up them. Birds will eat the berries if the plants are left to mature and distribute seeds. It is also difficult to see in the photo but on the right side of the picture, you may have poison ivy growing up the tree mixed in with the English ivy. If you wanted to send a better photo of the leaf arrangement and growth structure, we may be able to help identify it for you. You can also review our webpage on how to id poison ivy.

You can find an arborist for your area via https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist . You can look for one that does consultation services to just give you advice so you don't have to be persuaded for services. They may also give you a quote for removal if necessary and you could always get another opinion if needed. 

Let us know if you have further questions. 

Emily 

We understand that it's not quite clear in the photo or description about Smooth Patch, but the outer layers of bark are actually missing or sunken on trees affected by this fungus. Areas of bark that are completely missing tend to succumb to wood decay and the resulting canopy dieback can be drastic when large areas of bark are gone, which does not appear to be the case in the photo you submitted. Still, it's not a condition we can view close up enough (understandably) to generate a more specific diagnosis, so consultation with a certified arborist is still recommended.

Missing bark can be caused by multiple factors, such as an underlying fungal infection or insect borer killing the live wood underneath (the only live wood in a trunk lies in a shallow layer under the bark, as the innermost wood is naturally already dead), where the drying and shrinking wood underneath detaches from the bark and allows it to fall off. Or, from a lightning strike, where the rapidly-expanding water-turned-steam in the sapwood blows off the bark forcefully, though usually the trunk is also cracked vertically. Woodpeckers, seeking insects under the bark on a dying tree, can also chip-away sections of bark (this is sometimes called "blonding" for the paler color of the under layer, especially on Ash trees). Additionally, sometimes the bark sloughs-off prior to the lesion being covered by fungal structures, as with the gray or black stages of development of the fungus Hypoxylon.

We don't have enough information to determine if the tree is going to die, but can say that tree decline isn't reversible, and sometimes death takes years to fully manifest after the original event that stressed or damaged the tree took place, so it's not always a rapid deterioration. Some arborists have the additional specialization of hazard tree assessment, where they can help determine if too much internal wood is compromised and puts the tree at greater risk of failure during a storm. Arborists can't cure every ailment and the damage of any existing wood decay can't be reversed, but trees have ways of walling-off wood rot with internal barriers (when they work) and a cavity that develops on their exterior won't necessarily grow out-of-control after forming. Arborists can help identify sources of tree stress (of which there are many in suburban and urban sites) that might be able to be addressed to help prolong the tree's life and increase its chances of being able to tolerate any damage thus far.

Poison Ivy is native, and, aside from its possible hazard to human safety for those allergic to its sap, won't harm the tree so would be fine to keep if not bothersome. English Ivy should be removed from any tree, healthy or otherwise, both by severing any climb stems' connection with the ground (if any have climbed too high to treat) and carefully treating the foliage with a systemic herbicide. These types of chemicals are absorbed by the weed, usually through foliage but sometimes through fresh-cut wood on the stumps of severed vines, and move into roots to kill the entire plant. For well-established and vigorous weeds, this may take several applications; always follow label directions about dosage and how to apply the product. We don't have a specific product recommendation but several should list English Ivy (maybe just as "ivy") on their label. Use caution to avoid getting the spray on the tree's trunk, so one option is to "paint" or dab the chemical on foliage that's hugging the bark.

If you wish to remove it without chemicals, you'll have to physically dig up or cut down all above-ground Ivy growth (do not pull it off the trunk so it doesn't tear off bark, just cut its root connection and let it dry out and die). Foliage removal denies it the ability to photosynthesize and replenish root energy stores, so each time it's forced to resprout by having its foliage removed, it's using-up root energy and will eventually exhaust itself as this is repeated. You'll need to be vigilant and remove regrowth as soon as you see it so this process goes more quickly, but even so, you might be battling it all year and possibly next year as well.

Miri