No way to tell from a photo. Have to have recently dead thumb-diameter branch to cut through.

Could be drought. How long has it been in the ground? And what are your watering practices? Frequency? Amount? Etc.

Doesn't look like it from here, but as jean said the best diagnostic is not visual. From the looks of it and the sparse info given, I'd say cultural problems. But the Extension Office should be able to help.

Dan

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/workbucket007/IMG_5730640x478.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/workbucket007/IMG_5728640x471.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/workbucket007/IMG_5727640x480.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/workbucket007/IMG_5729477x640.jpg

Here are a few more photos. The top photo shows a cross section. I agree that I cannot find any "green" ting normally found in V. Wilt.

Last year we had a dry summer. By the end of the summer the leaves on the JM looked very sick. I remember commenting to my husband that something was wrong with the tree, we just didn't know what. The leaves had these spots on all of them that made it look like it had chickenpox blisters.

Then this spring I noticed that the top half the tree was not blooming and I inspected it to find dead branches all over the crown. After cutting into one of the main dead branches, the main branch itself is still moist inside, but all the smaller branches that shoot off of it are dead and dry.

Any more thoughts?

Thanks so much!

I'll stick with drought stress. But might change my mind if I have more info. (Sort of doubt it though.)

When was it planted?

What have been your watering practices since it was planted?

The cut stem doesn't reveal staining from verticillium.

But that tree has serious structural problems. The 2 stems "hugging" each other will cause problems in later years. If it barely clings to life this year, I'd replace it.

I'll stick with my 'cultural' as well, esp with additional description; likely combination of lack of water and unhappiness (improper planting, compacted soil, surely pruning, overhead watering...). Pull it out. If you have a spot where you can baby it and see if you can make it recover, put it there.

When you replant, cut out about 75-100 sf of turf, deeply and thoroughly rototill in a nice amount of good compost, plant properly and mulch. Keep bulbs and other stuff that requires digging around away from tree. Give it supplemental water, esp in drought.

Dan

To clarify, we just bought this house 2 years ago and I did not plant that tree. We have not pruned it at all in that time period. The only thing I am responsible for is that I did not water it last year. I didn't know trees needed watering. LOL

I will have the landscaping service replace it then since it seems un-salvageable.

Thanks!

Ad an extra comment.

See the mound at the base of the tree at the left rear? Called a mulch volcano. That's a widespread practice that damages trees. Pull it back so that you can see the flare at the base of the trunk.

I suspect the landscape block was added post-planting. If the 'landscape service' did that, don't have them replace the tree. Hire someone competent. IME the 'landscape service' generally is not the one you want to plant a tree.

Dan