Blighted maple trees - Ask Extension
Good morning. I live in a subdivision in Pittsfield Twp., and recently noticed that many of the leaves on the two maple trees that are in the bouleva...
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Blighted maple trees #934943
Asked June 10, 2026, 9:03 AM EDT
Good morning. I live in a subdivision in Pittsfield Twp., and recently noticed that many of the leaves on the two maple trees that are in the boulevard in front of my house either have black spots on them, or else have turned completely black and shriveled up; the trees in front of both of my next door neighbors' houses have the same damage. I have attached a photo showing the leaves on one of my trees, hoping you can look at it and tell me what is wrong with these trees, and whether or not I need to do anything about it. If that's not sufficient for you to diagnose the problem, I could bring a physical sample of the damaged leaves to my local extension office.
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Washtenaw County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello,
The most serious problem I am seeing here is the chlorosis, which is diagnosed by the yellow leaves with green veining. This can be caused by a few different things, including high soil pH, soil compaction, poor drainage, root damage, and nutrient imbalance. With maples, both iron and manganese deficiencies can cause the chlorosis, so you need to determine which might be the case. The first step here would be to get a soil test and check the soil pH and see if there are nutrient imbalances in the soil. To order a soil test, go to https://homesoiltest.msu.edu/ or to your MSU Extension office in your county and purchase one. There are good instructions on how to collect a sample with the kit.
Because root issues can also cause this problem, I also recommend taking a look at the root area. Trees that are planted too deeply or have deep mulch piled high against the trunk are also vulnerable to chlorosis. You should be able to see a slight widening of the trunk at ground level. If you cannot, you should try to remove mulch and/or soil around the base of the tree, working carefully so as to not harm the roots. Read more about trees planted improperly here:
https://extension.psu.edu/are-my-trees-buried-too-deep Arborists can do this with an air-spade very effectively. If you prefer to have an arborist on site, we recommend consulting an ISA-certified arborist. Find one here:
https://www.treesaregood.org/Find-an-Arborist
The brown spots you are seeing is a relatively common and rarely harmful fungal disease called anthracnose. This does not need treatment, but you should rake and remove fallen leaves rather than mulching leaves from this tree to avoid re-infection next season.
Because this tree is stressed, make sure to water during dry periods and follow the nutrient directions given by your soil test.
The most serious problem I am seeing here is the chlorosis, which is diagnosed by the yellow leaves with green veining. This can be caused by a few different things, including high soil pH, soil compaction, poor drainage, root damage, and nutrient imbalance. With maples, both iron and manganese deficiencies can cause the chlorosis, so you need to determine which might be the case. The first step here would be to get a soil test and check the soil pH and see if there are nutrient imbalances in the soil. To order a soil test, go to https://homesoiltest.msu.edu/ or to your MSU Extension office in your county and purchase one. There are good instructions on how to collect a sample with the kit.
Because root issues can also cause this problem, I also recommend taking a look at the root area. Trees that are planted too deeply or have deep mulch piled high against the trunk are also vulnerable to chlorosis. You should be able to see a slight widening of the trunk at ground level. If you cannot, you should try to remove mulch and/or soil around the base of the tree, working carefully so as to not harm the roots. Read more about trees planted improperly here:
https://extension.psu.edu/are-my-trees-buried-too-deep Arborists can do this with an air-spade very effectively. If you prefer to have an arborist on site, we recommend consulting an ISA-certified arborist. Find one here:
https://www.treesaregood.org/Find-an-Arborist
The brown spots you are seeing is a relatively common and rarely harmful fungal disease called anthracnose. This does not need treatment, but you should rake and remove fallen leaves rather than mulching leaves from this tree to avoid re-infection next season.
Because this tree is stressed, make sure to water during dry periods and follow the nutrient directions given by your soil test.
