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Silver Maple disease diagnosis #876693

Asked July 10, 2024, 2:27 PM EDT

The trunk of my mature silver maple tree has a large gash at the bottom of the trunk, as well as black bark in and around the gash. The trunk also has a section at the base where the bark appears powdery white. Additionally, there is some sort of larvae boring into the trunk. The canopy of the tree is predominately unaffected, although there are a handful of branches at the top that have lost all of their bark and appear completely smooth. Not included in the pictures I'm attaching here is the I'm assuming the tree is diseased but hoping to gain some insight as to what may be causing this and how serious of matter it is. Thank you in advance.

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thank you for your question.

I fear that the prognosis may not be good for your silver maple. The large opening at the base is an open invitation for fungal and other types of infection. I can’t identify the type of larvae on the surface of the tree. My major concern at this point is that the tree is predisposed towards falling over. I would not expect it to “heal itself”. At the very least, we would strongly urge that you have a professional, licensed arborist make an on-site inspection and assessment. See:

https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/how-hire-tree-care-professional

Good luck. Please don’t wait too long before taking some action. Thanks for using our forum.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 10, 2024, 4:59 PM EDT

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