Crabapple Tree Bark peeling - Ask Extension
Hi there,I have a crabapple tree that is 15+ years old, Arvada area. It has not produced the beautiful pink blooms in several years. While I belie...
Knowledgebase
Crabapple Tree Bark peeling #391861
Asked April 04, 2017, 12:28 PM EDT
Hi there,
I have a crabapple tree that is 15+ years old, Arvada area. It has not produced the beautiful pink blooms in several years. While I believe I think this is due to the weather, I thought I'd throw that information in.
The current problem with the tree is that the bark on the upper trunk of the tree is peeling, and bark is peeling on some of the branches. In addition, so far only a few of the branches have produced buds. Could there be a disease or ash borer attack? If so, can the tree be saved?
I have a crabapple tree that is 15+ years old, Arvada area. It has not produced the beautiful pink blooms in several years. While I believe I think this is due to the weather, I thought I'd throw that information in.
The current problem with the tree is that the bark on the upper trunk of the tree is peeling, and bark is peeling on some of the branches. In addition, so far only a few of the branches have produced buds. Could there be a disease or ash borer attack? If so, can the tree be saved?
Jefferson County Colorado
Expert Response
I will have to see a picture of the tree in question to give you good guidance.
Attached are 3 photos. The last photo is a photo of the tree trunk.
Right now, there is only one set of branches that have leaves/pink blooms on the entire tree.
Thank you.
Right now, there is only one set of branches that have leaves/pink blooms on the entire tree.
Thank you.
Here are some more photos of the crabapple tree.
Thanks for the additional pictures. The bark is falling off most likely as a result of the freeze event that occurred in November of 2014. The braches without bark and no buds are dead and can be removed at any time.
Curtis,
If the bark is falling off due to freeze in November 2014, and now these branches are dead, why would there have been leaves on these branches in 2015 and 2016?
Thank you.
If the bark is falling off due to freeze in November 2014, and now these branches are dead, why would there have been leaves on these branches in 2015 and 2016?
Thank you.
We had an apple here that was impacted by the freeze that leafed out in 2015 but then died in 2016. The other possibility is fire blight; a bacterial pathogen that can also kill branches in any wet spring or after a hail storm. It is very difficult to tell if your tree's branches died from fire blight from the pictures.
Here is a fact sheet on Fire blight: http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/fire-blight-2-907/
