Leafless Norway Maple

[gzecc]

Noticed a leafless Norway Maple in my front yard a few days ago. I thought it was my healthiest Norway. Probably 50+ years old. Its now going to provide us with heat after giving us shade for many years. What kills a Norway maple so fast. I'm used to them dying a slow death over many years of decline.
It had no leaves 5/14 (had a cluster of 4 leaves on entire tree) in north central NJ.

 

[begreen]

Drought, road salt? Be careful when cutting. It may be rotten inside.

 

[gzecc]

Drought, road salt? Be careful when cutting. It may be rotten inside.

Rains every other day here. Yard tree, no salt, rock solid no rot, already stacked.

 

[begreen]

Was the bark girded by insects?

 

[hickoryhoarder]

Drought may have weakened it, made it more susceptible to a number of things. Not sure about NJ, but here in Indiana we've had two record droughts since 2010, and one near-record one. Maples appear to have the hardest time dealing with the real tough droughts. They don't necessarily die that same year. We've lost maybe 20% of our maples the past ten years, and many have bad crowns now.

Norway maple and silver maple are not especially long-lived trees, while sugar maple tends to go 100-150 in nature.

 

[gzecc]

Drought may have weakened it, made it more susceptible to a number of things. Not sure about NJ, but here in Indiana we've had two record droughts since 2010, and one near-record one. Maples appear to have the hardest time dealing with the real tough droughts. They don't necessarily die that same year. We've lost maybe 20% of our maples the past ten years, and many have bad crowns now.

Norway maple and silver maple are not especially long-lived trees, while sugar maple tends to go 100-150 in nature.

I've witnessed the demise of Norway's over the years. Usually slow decline over years.
No drought, no insects. 10% of the lower trunk (maybe a 2 sq. ft section) bark was delaminating from the trunk. Still attached, but loose.
We have 100 other trees on the property.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Look for signs of Asian Longhorn Beetle.

 

[CincyBurner]

Verticilium wilt ? - a soil-born fungal pathogen

 

[gzecc]

Verticilium wilt ? - a soil-born fungal pathogen

Could be, but it seemed very healthy last fall, then no leaves this spring except for 4 or 5. Seems very fast and complete.

 

[gzecc]

Look for signs of Asian Longhorn Beetle.

No branch damage or sign of beetles. Branches had a lot of lichen on them.

 

[gzecc]

I'm going to assume Verticilium wilt. It must have had damage last season that I didn't notice. I'm really surprised how complete the destruction of this mature tree was, from one season to the next.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

I've witnessed the demise of Norway's over the years. Usually slow decline over years.
No drought, no insects. 10% of the lower trunk (maybe a 2 sq. ft section) bark was delaminating from the trunk. Still attached, but loose.
We have 100 other trees on the property.

It's true that they often decline in cities in year 50-70 of their life. Saw this in 1980-2005 in a city in Pennsylvania.

Good to hear you somehow escaped all three of these major droughts the last 10 years.

 

[Simonkenton]

New Jersey, huh? I think Tony Soprano sent Paulie out to do a hit on that tree.

 

[kennyp2339]

New Jersey, huh? I think Tony Soprano sent Paulie out to do a hit on that tree.

LOL - my neighbor is the actor who played Larry Boy, great neighbor, him and his wife are very nice people and are pretty low key.
Lantern moth / fly has entered our area recently and they like maples, birches & tulip poplars / tree of heaven.