Unidentified Fungal Growth on Maple Bark

14 years ago

I planted a maple sapling a couple years ago and it has begun to leaf very nicely. However yesterday I noticed there are large tumor-like bumps growing all along the sapling's trunk and lower branches. The upper and outer extremities of the branches are not too badly infested yet, but all the tips of the maple leaves are dying. I want to know if it's still possible to save this sapling and if so, what treatments I can make.

I've had problems with gloomy scale in the past on maples, but I believe this may be Nectria, even though I only found one canker. There are no obvious pictures for the bumps, so if someone could identify the disease and treatments I would be grateful.

The first is the overall tree, the second shows the effect on the leaves. The third and fourth are close-ups of the bumps, and the fifth shows the canker. The last one shows the outer extremities where the tree isn't too badly affected yet.

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Comments (5)

jean001
14 years ago
Canker means "dead area."

The area surrounded by the "bumps" is dead, from some sort of insult quite a while ago. Although I haven't seen that particular pattern of bumps previously, if it were my tree, I'd start over with a fresh, healthy tree.

Oh yes, I'm surprised the leaves look as well as they do.
lasenna
Original Author
14 years ago
The bark is not dead yet, even though I know the pictures make them look that way. It's more like the fungal growth is just resting on top of the healthy plant tissue, and hasn't seriously struck the plant in earnest yet. When I popped off a few of the bumps (whether down low or near the ends) there was always young, green plant tissue underneath like what you get if you scrape off the topmost layer of bark. I'm sure you're right that if the fungus is allowed to spread unchecked it will kill the tree though, and I would really prefer to try saving the tree first if you have any treatment suggestions.
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schmoo
14 years ago
The tree looks like a Sweetgum to me. Hard to tell for sure, but the bumps look like the "corky wings" found on some Sweetgums younger branches. The base of the trunk is another issue, looks like shipping or lawn-mower blight:-)..
jean001
14 years ago
If a maple, leaves are opposite.
If a sweet gum, alternate.
lasenna
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you all for the information - sorry I couldn't post a followup before (I lost my registration after a hard drive crash). Thank you jean001 for helping me to identify that it was a sweetgum, I just thought it was a maple because oak and maple were the only palmate leaf trees planted in the neighborhood when it was being built - looks like I have one of the first sweetgums.

Also thank you schmoo for your information on the corky wood being normal. The tree is doing fine, and it's a relief to know it's not an infection of some sort.