Knowledgebase
Maple tree longevity #923408
Asked January 07, 2026, 3:29 PM EST
Grand Traverse County Michigan
Expert Response
I would be fairly optimistic about it surviving, and continuing to grow, but certainly there are some concerns. Silver maples are known for having brittle bark, and do break often in high wind situations, but because of their excessive growth habits, they're tough and tend to recover. Although this is dependent on a lot of factors, such as a loss of a healthy, large limb, could send the tree into shock and decline. It may never be the same tree, or it may just ignore it and keep growing, it's not a certain thing, with there being a lot of predetermining factors.
What you could and should do, in the future, is inquire with a professional arborist about cabling and/or bracing systems for the tree. Such systems could help prevent such a loss to an important shade tree on your property. Also important is inquiring with that same arborist about decay fungi entering the tree. Such a wound could be an entry point for not only fungi, but bark beetles, and carpenter ants. In such a situation, the tree can become hazardous for anyone enjoying the yard, as it could begin to rot from the inside out, making it extremely subject to further breakage.
Here is a good site to locate a local arborist for at least a tree risk assessment: https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/findanarborist
Best of luck.