Is my Sugar Maple tree OK?

6 years ago

I've noticed that my sugar maple tree (60+ years?) has several branches where there aren't many leaves until the end of the branch. I am thinking this is because the tree is now declining and has matured as much as it is going to. That's what I have been thinking, but I have no experience or tree knowledge. Correct me if I am wrong.

Here's an example:

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Smivies (Ontario - 5b)

6 years ago

60 years is not an old Sugar Maple. I don't see 'decline' in your photo but a 60 year old tree could certainly be in decline if it's on very drought prone soils, compacted soils, lots of soil disturbances, grading that's caused root damage or a wet area, etc.

Is this the same Maple that you've been trying to get the City to grant you a permit to remove?

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Comments (6)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
could you favor us with a pic of the whole ...

do you notice any squirrel nests around ... they could have stripped a few branches for such ...

if you are looking for reasons to get rid of a stinky maple for better hosta growth ... im pretty sure its dying ... and it would be best removed ... if you need something to tell DH ... lol .. [in case its not clear.. that is a hosta joke ...]

ken
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
krnuttle
6 years ago
We had a bay magnolia, that only had a few branches and leaves near the top (about 15' up). I thought it was dying, until one day I saw a squirrel neatly trimming the small branches and carrying them up another tree for her nest.
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked krnuttle
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newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
Original Author
6 years ago
Ken, it's hard to get a picture of the whole tree. There might be a squirrel nest, but there are quite a few branches like the one above. In the spring I do see squirrels around. They seem to bite the bark (sap time) and nip off new shoots. But I have two sugar maples, both large. Only one of the trees shows this kind of leafless branching.

Ken, my DH would allow me to cut down one sugar maple, but the city won't! I plan to have my two trees pruned in a month or so. That will cost me $2,000!

I had a limb fall off this tree a month ago. Rot.

Here are some pictures:

krnuttle, darn those squirrels!

Smivies, I'm not sure how old the tree is. It could be 100 years old for all I know. Homes here were built 60 years ago. Many mature trees were in the area and the builders did not remove many of them.

This is not the actual sugar maple that I have asked the city to allow me to remove. I have two sugar maples roughly the same age and both in my backyard!
bengz6westmd
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Looking at your last pics, not sure I see any problems? Looks like your estimate of 60 years seems reasonable. There is a whole lot of things going on in the tree's root zone, tho. Not sure if that would be a potential problem like soil compaction.

One of my sugar maples seemed to have a bad year once (foliage kind of sparse & alot of seeds), but the next year looked fine.
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked bengz6westmd
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
Original Author
6 years ago
I believe the trees were there long before the house was built. Why would anyone plant a sugar maple tree six feet from the sliding door of their backyard and then build a patio around the tree!? How could there not be a lot going on in the root zone. The two trees are big and span my whole backyard. I like trees, but I want a garden too. No use having a property and paying property taxes if you can't even grow a few plants. Soil compaction is a real possibility.

This sugar maple has looked like this at least for the last few years.