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Ornamental Pear Tree - leaves changing fall colors and wilting #877221
Asked July 14, 2024, 10:26 PM EDT
I would love any insight or help…..I have a 10yr old ornamental pear tree, (flowering pear autumn blaze
Pyrus calleryana) in my front yard in Denver. I have full sun, facing west.
In the last three weeks (started June 22nd, that all of a sudden the leaves started changing Fall colors (purple/brown/red), then a week later those leaves dried up and crumble off. The color changing started on one side of the tree week of June 30th and in now has moved to the other side of the tree. The branches are hanging lower, it is loosing the green leaves and the shape is deteriorating fast. I had that lost a branch in the last heavy snowfall in April (I had the branch cut off by an arborist. The weight of the snow also caused a small crack where the main branch connected to the trunk of the tree.
I also had to take out a 100yr old elm tree in early April that was 15 feet from it, that provided coverage / shade for the pear tree. Any ideas on what this could be and how to treat it/save the tree?
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
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There are several things this could cause these symptoms. Some times it takes multiple years of stress for a tree to display symptoms and sometimes there is an immediate response. It is the result of some type of stress to the tree.
This tree lived in the shade of a large elm tree for 10 years. It is not used to the heat and sun that it has been receiving this summer without that cover. This is probably a strong contributor to this problem.
Is the tree getting enough water or too much water? To check this, dig down about 18 inches and assess the moisture level of the soil at that depth.
Trees need to be watered in the winter during dry spells. If it has been drought stressed from the dry winter conditions for a few Years, that could cause these symptoms.
Another cause might be root girdling. This is when the trees roots were not spread out when the tree was planted, they continue to grow around the tree and eventually strangle the tree. If you suspect this, excavate around the trunk of the tree to see if the condition exists. This Garden notes document describes girdling causes and cures.
https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/659.pdf
The trunk split is causing severe stress to the tree and if you want to save it, it should be addressed by an arborist. Here is a tool to help you find one.
https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/findanarborist
