Leafless Norway Maple

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gzecc

Minister of Fire
Sep 24, 2008
5,123
NNJ
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.
 
Drought, road salt? Be careful when cutting. It may be rotten inside.
 
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.
 
Was the bark girded by insects?
 
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.
 
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.
 
Verticilium wilt ? - a soil-born fungal pathogen
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
New Jersey, huh? I think Tony Soprano sent Paulie out to do a hit on that tree.
 
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.
 
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