Knowledgebase

Why are silver maples suddenly dying? #800802

Asked July 12, 2022, 5:46 PM EDT

My silver maple which is 45 years old started dying at the crown two years ago and is now dead wood halfway up the tree. I have noticed a few other silver maples doing the same thing. Otherwise healthy looking trees. Could it be a sudden onset of root rot? Thank you for your assistance here.

Anne Arundel County Maryland

Expert Response

Hi Patrick!

Silver maples generally tend to have issues with their branches - their brittle wood and poor branch structure can cause branches to die or drop. They also can get stem cankers, branch cankers and borers, which can cause parts of the crown to dieback. If the tree has not been pruned recently, it could have dead branches within the canopy that could benefit from pruning and thinning. 

We recommend contacting a licensed professional arborist to come and assess the tree and provide their recommendations.

Jamie

Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 13, 2022, 11:45 AM EDT
Hi Jamie,
I’ve been dealing with trees all my life, and I can tell the difference between dead branches in the canopy, versus a tree which is clearly dying. This tree is half denuded of canopy leaves, and it’s throwing up all sorts of suckers in the branches — a sure sign of stress. 

Is it sudden root rot, or a branch fungus?

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 13, 2022, at 11:45 AM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:


The Question Asker Replied July 13, 2022, 9:11 PM EDT

Hi Patrick!

The tree might be showing the signs of decline based on damage incurred years ago, like during our record rainy year in 2018. We would need to see photos of the maples in order to make recommendations. Based on what you have said about the dieback, we recommend contacting an arborist for a consultation. They will be able to recommend a treatment plan or removal quote based on what they see in person.

Jamie

Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 14, 2022, 11:33 AM EDT
thank you !

On Thu, Jul 14, 2022 at 11:33 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied July 14, 2022, 11:14 PM EDT
You're welcome.
This page could also be helpful for deciding what to do:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/how-do-you-decide-when-remove-tree


Christine
Answered by theHome and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 15, 2022, 8:58 AM EDT

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