Maple tree in front yard_Champlin MN - Ask Extension
This is a Maple tree (don't know what type). It was planted in 2001 when the house was built. It is 13 feet from the corner of the home and part of th...
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Maple tree in front yard_Champlin MN #903460
Asked May 29, 2025, 2:17 PM EDT
This is a Maple tree (don't know what type). It was planted in 2001 when the house was built. It is 13 feet from the corner of the home and part of the landscaping in front of the home. Last year there was bottom branches thar had lost their leaves or had no leaves and had the white spots on the tree bark. i assumed because of dry year. i watered the tree 5 or 6 times. i needed to trim the branches anyways to you can see where i trimmed. This year there are leaf buds but absolutely no leaf growth at all and more of the tree branches have the varying sizes of white spots. Neighbors multiple Maples (different type) have all leaves on trees. The picture of the whole tree shows the base. Zoom in and i moved the landscaping rock away to show there is only one root that shoots out somewhat along the ground. does this tree have some kind of disease or root girdling? IS IT DEAD OR VERY DIFFICULT TO BRING BACK? Because I'm relandscaping and can remove it now. Thanks for your help!
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
The white spots are probably lichen and not harmful.
See: https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/non-harmful-tree-conditions
You can do a snap test on a few branches. If there is green it is just slow in leafing out. If no green the branch is probably dead.
One of the problems we see especially with maple trees is that they were planted too deep. When this happens the roots grow upward and circle the tree and eventually girdle and strangle it. They then topple over easily. Move as much dirt away from the trunk as you can to see if this is the problem. The following websites give more detail.
1. https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/storm-damage-landscape-trees
2. https://trees.umn.edu/sites/trees.umn.edu/files/2021-07/StemGirdlingRootsUndergroundEpidemic_198244_7.pdf
If this is a valuable tree you may wish to have an arborist do an onsite assessment. See:
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/how-hire-tree-care-professional
See: https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/non-harmful-tree-conditions
You can do a snap test on a few branches. If there is green it is just slow in leafing out. If no green the branch is probably dead.
One of the problems we see especially with maple trees is that they were planted too deep. When this happens the roots grow upward and circle the tree and eventually girdle and strangle it. They then topple over easily. Move as much dirt away from the trunk as you can to see if this is the problem. The following websites give more detail.
1. https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/storm-damage-landscape-trees
2. https://trees.umn.edu/sites/trees.umn.edu/files/2021-07/StemGirdlingRootsUndergroundEpidemic_198244_7.pdf
If this is a valuable tree you may wish to have an arborist do an onsite assessment. See:
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/how-hire-tree-care-professional
