Please submit a few pictures of your cherry tree so we can try to determine what is going on.  Take close-ups of the leaves, root crown, entire tree and surrounding landscape.

Here are some pictures as requested 

Sent from my iPhone



Thanks for the pictures.  Although the leaves are cupping, and the distant ends of the branches have fewer leaves than the interior.  This could be a sign of heat stress and/or water stress.  When did you first notice the problem?

Is there a weed barrier fabric under the rock mulch?  If both are there beneath the tree, those treatments could be part of the problem.  The fabric often causes water to move away from the soil beneath.  Also, the rock will capture and hold heat, releasing it throughout the day and overnight as well.  

Other than that, what else has been done to the sight?  is the turf treated regularly for weed control?  Has the sight been fertilized?  If so when and what was used?  Herbicides engineered to control broadleaf weeds make no distinction between trees and weeds.  Fertilizer can exacerbate tree problems since it causes trees to increase their demand for water.

Thanks for your quick response. To answer your questions, yes there is fabric to control weeds as well as the rock. I have a lawn service that periodically treats the grass for weeds. The condition surfaced over the past month or so, in conjunction with the intense heat. What do you recommend?  Should I clear out the area around the root ball? How frequently should I water? I’ve read that I shouldn’t prune until tree is dormant. Is that correct? Is my tree in danger of dying?

Remove the weed barrier and control the weeds using other methods such as hand pulling or properly applied herbicides.  Check out this article on similar fabrics used to control weeds; https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/landscape-fabric.pdf

Also, just to be more informed in general about what's going on in your landscape, ask your lawn professional for a record of what he/she has applied to your property over the last six months or so.  That data should provide the active ingredient and the percentage mixture applied and the weather conditions during application including wind.  You may learn something with that information but I'm not suggesting it's their fault.  Those types of professionals are usually pretty good at what they do.

You can prune the dead out of your tree at any time.  Also, while its young, you can spend train it more rigorously than a mature tree.  However, be sure to prune with a purpose and if you have to remove more than 15 to 20 percent living tissue then yes, wait until its dormant.

Please let me know what has been applied to your property.

Thank you so much for your help and advice. I will definitely keep in touch and provide you with updates.

Thank you.