Knowledgebase

Sick Maple tree #874379

Asked June 24, 2024, 8:59 AM EDT

Ingham

Ingham County Michigan

Expert Response

Good Morning,
Picture one is lichens.  One of the most important things to know about lichens is that they are harmless to their hosts they occur on. Lichens are self-sufficient for their energy needs – recall the algae are photosynthetic – so they are not parasitic on their host. In fact, many lichens are as likely to occur on non-living substrates, like wooden benches, concrete sidewalks, tombstones, as they are on trees
What are lichens and what are they doing on my tree? - MSU Extension

It is hard to tell what is wrong with the second photo.  Did the tree leaf out at all?  Are the branches brittle and flexible?  You can take a sharp knife or use a fingernail to gently scrape a small piece of bark off of several small twigs. If the exposed twig is green, the branch is still alive. 

The leaf picture looks like the tree may be missing some nutrients as well as something eating the leaves.
What is eating my leaves? Spring leaf-eaters gardeners should know - MSU Extension
Chlorosis - Integrated Pest Management (msu.edu)
My maple tree is dropping leaves, what’s wrong? - MSU Extension

You can have an arborist come out and assess the tree. 
Find certified arborists by searching under the “Find an arborist” tab, and using your zip code here—-www.treesaregood.org

You can also send in a sample for a small fee and get a firm diagnosis.  Submit Samples - Plant & Pest Diagnostics (msu.edu)

I hope this helps.  Thanks for using our service.
V/r, Replied June 25, 2024, 5:32 AM EDT

Thank you for responding! No, the tree did not fully leaf out after a history of it being fully leaved and plush. From my testing the finer branches on ¾ of the tree are dead, and only a few have leaves and green branches. I am supposing the next step is to schedule an arborist.

 

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The Question Asker Replied June 27, 2024, 1:36 PM EDT
Good Morning,
I would agree to get an arborist out to assess the tree.

Good Luck
V/r, Replied June 28, 2024, 6:04 AM EDT

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