Gardeners’ Forum: “Maple Tree - bark peeling”
Back to Gardeners’ ForumMaple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Marjorie Williams on Thursday, June 3, 2004 11:18 PM ADTCan any one let me know what could be wrong with a maple tree that has its bark severley peeling. The maple tree has a trunk approximately three inches in diameter and the bark is cracking off and leaving the trunk exposed. What is going on? And what should I do with this tree in this condition?
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by kathy on Friday, June 4, 2004 12:15 PM ADThi, sorry to hear about your tree! take a look in the bark that's peeling and see if there are tiny little holes in it about the size of the end of a pencil lead up to maybe 1/8 inch-sometimes they're only close to the ground. also, on the part that is peeling...if you pull it back and look at the underside see if there are little pathways along the inside of the bark. under normal bark there should be a very thin layer of greenish-coloured very soft wood that is damp to the touch (the sap runs here up the tree). If you see little pathways in this layer, or the layer isn't there it's probably bugs.....borer beetles and larva will eat this layer because of the sugar and liquid content and this can cause severe bark peeling. if there are no signs like that it could be that there's been too much rain and the tree trunk is swelling and splitting the bark. but this is really really rare and usually just causes cracks, not peeling.....we have a maple bush that we harvest for syrup and we destroy trees like this when we find them because they don't seem to recover once the bark strips. if it was a very old tree, with highly grooved bark it's normal for some bark to shed, but you say it's a small diameter tree..... good luck.....
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by John Vibert on Sunday, June 6, 2004 1:18 AM ADTI have the same problem. I have two maples that are 25 feet high (5-6inch di) and the bark is peeling a 1 foot strip around the tree about 3 feet from the ground. No sign of bugs and the rest of the trunk looks fine. Can't help you but at least you are not alone!
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by kathy on Sunday, June 13, 2004 8:14 PM ADTHi, so i did some checking around since my last response....and did find something interesting. there is one species of maple that is sometimes sold in canada (not a native to canada) called the "paper peeling maple" (go figure) the bark peels just like a birch tree. these are ornamental and quite small maple trees, not for syrup production or anything like that. so if the bark is peeling like a paper birch would (just the top few layers, not the living bark underneath), then maybe you have one of these maples. I'm assuming though that your tree (both your trees) are grey barked, somewhat smooth bark....the typical maple. apparently a root fungus can also cause bark peeling due to death of the underside of the bark and sap wood. not sure how this works. do both your trees have good leaves (buds earlier) this year? i'm afraid if the bark does peel completely around the tree it's essentially ringing the tree and the tree will die..unfortunately. I have spoken with other people here in ontario with maple bushes that also simply destroy sugar and red maple trees with peeling bark if they are under 20 inches trunk diameter. they have no idea what causes it, except possibly trunk splitting from excessive trunk growth or some other unknown disease/problem with the tree. sorry i can't be of more help.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Gary Liu on Monday, November 3, 2008 7:50 PM ASTCan you tell me about how to make paper or how its harvested? THANKS!
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Mike Larsen on Sunday, January 11, 2009 1:39 PM ASTMy tree is 7yrs old..last 2 years bark on truck has peeled about 4ft high...6-10 inches in width...part of tree that is peeling is Northeast side. Live in Saskatoon so maybe it's the cold winters...any idea the cause and how to correct?
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Geoff on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 7:15 PM ADTa dog has chewed of two feet of bark off my two year old maple tree, can I fix it or should I just leave it alone and hope for the best?
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by May on Monday, July 27, 2009 4:37 PM ADTLooks like my tree is doing the same thing. It makes me very sad 2 think I can not save it.Iam hoping it is just 2 much rain.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Sharon on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 1:52 PM ADTPorcupines?? My maple has taken a real beating by the beasts. Surviving so far, though.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Joy Larson on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 6:48 PM ADTI accidentally peeled a large portion of bark from a young maple tree in my yard (while mowing) it is about a 2 inch strip going up the length of the tree trunk and up two branches. I wrapped the tree. Anything else I can do.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Brenda on Friday, July 31, 2009 12:13 AM ADTI have several older maples that were damaged by the ice storm of 1998. They seemed to have survived the many broken limbs, but last year and especially this year they have had a lot of bark peeling away. At first it almost looked like a lightening strike, but then I noticed that it was happening to more than one tree. We live in Maine and the summer has been extremely wet. It looks like we will lose them.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Edward on Friday, August 7, 2009 11:39 AM ADTThanks for your information on bark peeling. We have a beautiful red maple in our front yard and at the base it is shedding bark back to the center interior. We appreciate your information and have determined there is nothing we can do to save this beautiful tree. The bare bottom extends to 2/3 of the base. The top branches are getting bare too. T
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by C Koehler on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 10:59 PM ADTMy red maple has cracked amd peeling bark> Many of the branches yielded no leaves this year. The growth of leaves is dispersed throughout the tree. The leave had spots on them then curled and died> My neighbor has 3 dead trees with fungus on them.. Is this causing the problem? I also have a green maple that has brown spots on it and the leaves are already falling off, What can we do to save our trees. The neighbor refuses to remove his trees.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Tom on Thursday, September 3, 2009 9:47 AM ADTMy 10 year old maple is peeling and the leaves appear to be changing colors, dying. The other maple near it looks normal. What can I do?
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Toby Lapage-Norris on Saturday, June 5, 2010 12:24 PM ADTI am in the UK and have about 8 maples in a small mixed tree wood planted about 15 years ago - ALL the maples look as if an animal has been eating the bark, it is all peeled back on both trunks and branches. An Arborist thought it might have been a deer until i pointed out it was about 11 feet up! Good job he wasn't a vet! In his defence, it does look as if there are teeth marks visible - could a squirrel do this or by the sounds of it, it is a disease as it has only affected the maples.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Paul on Friday, July 16, 2010 10:25 AM ADTI have 6 sunset maples lining my drive. They are 10 years old and approx. 25' tall. One has bark which had split and is peeling off entirely up to 4' high. Flesh underneath is gray and dry. The other 5 have what appears as a gray/green fungus or mold on the trunks and are also showing signs of bark splitting. Any idea what this is called? Is there any teatment that can stop the malady before it progresses further? The foilage on the trees is green and full, in fact, they look perfectly healthy except for the bark on the trunks splitting & peeling off.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Chantal Richard on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 9:39 PM ADTI moved into a house three years ago and there were 4 beautiful red maples planted all in a row. The one nearest to the road died and had to be cut down (we assumed because of road salt) and now the three others have large vertical sections of bark falling off them. No signs of pests or fungus that I can see, underneath the bark they are dry. They are about 25' tall, don't know their age. The trunks are covered in lichen, but the leaves are as full as ever and the trees look healthy otherwise. The odd thing is that all three have peeling bark on the same side - south facing! I also have a dying lilac very near them, full of lichen and hardly producing any flowers or leaves. Is there anything I can do?
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Sharlene on Tuesday, August 3, 2010 2:27 PM ADTI have a 3-4 years old Maple that has a spot of peeling bark about 18" up from the ground. Inside the broken bark hole is sawdust. What could be destroying my tree? Will I be able to save it?
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Diana Stewart on Monday, October 4, 2010 8:12 AM ADTWe have two silver maples that for the past few yrs have their bark splitting on them, leaving a large section open like a wound on a leg. The trees continue to grow but we are wondering why are they doing this?. The trees are in the central part of Wisconsin sandy soil. We have had them for over 10 yrs, but each yr the wound seems to be getting wider. Is this due to sugar not being tapped out of them?
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Julie McClure on Sunday, May 8, 2011 12:33 PM ADTMy husband accidentally hit the young Red Maple tree with his tractor. He peeled off bark about 2-3 inches wide and up about 2-3 feet on the trunk, exposing the whiter flesh underneath. The tree is about 6-7 years old. Will it survive and should we do anything to try and repair it? Thank You.
re: Maple Tree - bark cut by weedeater
Posted by MARY PRINCE on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 7:32 PM ADTI damaged my 2 year old red maple 3 days ago with a weedeater, accidentally cut bark off the bottom 3 inches. Can I save it? thank you
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Debra Brown on Friday, August 26, 2011 11:18 AM ADTI received a crimson maple from a landscaper about a week after he planted it I noticed a crack in the bark it has been 2 yrs of nursing this tree but it looks very bad, the bark is coming away from the tree and some of the branches are bare, what can I do to save this tree? I have poured bayer 12 protection on it and it has not helped, the bark splitting is worse I am in Va. it is not that cold in the winter months here.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Tom Frencl on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 8:46 PM ADTMy Maple is in the back yard. It is about 40 feet high and has a diameter of about 5 feet. The whole tree is peeling. I checked the lower bark for holes and those spider web lines - not there. Now we have had a lot of rain this year with a really hot summer. I live in a suburb of Chicago. Suggestions?
Maple Tree, several sizable cracks extending from lowest branch to just above the ground.
Posted by Sharon Bailiff on Thursday, March 1, 2012 10:47 PM ASTIs there hope for the tree or anything that can be done to keep the tree alive.
Red Maple Tree, trunk splitting in several places running up and down trunk.
Posted by Sharon Bailiff on Friday, March 2, 2012 4:11 PM ASTIs there any hope of saving this tree, the bark is also peeling. It has great sentimental value, my husband and I planted it over 15 years ago and he passed away. Any help or suggestion greatly appreciated. Thank you one and all.
Maple tree - wood chips
Posted by Chris p on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 8:08 PM ADTHi! I have a maple tree that is 45 years old. It has tiny wood flakes that appear like its shedding. They are very small. Not consistent in size or shape. Averaging anywhere from 3-15mm's in length. The center main Turk of the tree was cut off at least ten years ago and is decaying. Tought at first it was a raccoon or wood pecker but there are far too many of them covering our back deck. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanking you in advance.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by tommy on Saturday, March 17, 2012 1:01 PM ADTi notice that my red maple tree is peeling some bark off of it about a foot long on one branch and it has several cracks in some of the branches and one long crack about 18 inches at the trunk they were there last year the tree is just starting to bud out right now is there any thing i should do or just don't worry about it thank you
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Cheryl on Friday, March 30, 2012 6:43 PM ADTThis is an issue for my old & young Manitoba maple. Couldnt't see any bug lines. Seems to be hitting other peoples trees as well. Is this a desease or what is it?
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Michele lackaye on Saturday, April 28, 2012 9:12 PM ADTMy tree is at least 50yrs old. Large pieces of bark are falling and parts of the tree are black as though lightening struck it. What can I do.
Maple tree-Autumn Blaze
Posted by Mike McCormick on Sunday, April 29, 2012 4:49 PM ADTWe purchased this tree from a nursery about four years ago. It developed a crack in the bark last spring and about 20percent of the bark has since peeled off. The branch directly above this area did not leaf out this spring. There is not apparent insect problem.
red maple bark peeling and leaves sparse
Posted by Tammy on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 10:53 PM ADTRed maple about 25 feet tall. Bark started peeling and this year very few leaves. Extreme hot summer last year. Tree gets all day sun. Is it dying?
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Rob Zartman on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 8:08 PM ADTTree is around 10 yrs old and bark is peeled off west side. And it does have some kind of bug under bark. small holes and sawdust under dead bark. is there anything i can do to save tree? tree looks good otherwise.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by June Palmer on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 7:30 PM ADTMy trees were healthy last summer. We planted them just last fall. But the leaves are turning brown and falling off. There are also places on the trunks and up the limbs that look like cracks and peeling. We have treated them for fungus but they are still not looking good. Any suggestions???
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Curtis Davis on Monday, June 4, 2012 9:47 PM ADTMy tree is old It was here since I lived in this house. One year the bark just started falling off and the leaves did not last long. then this year the bark is falling off all over and by that I mean every branch. When I peel the bark back I find what looks like little pathways and a bunch of grubs and earwigs. I think it has termites or some kind of wood eating bug because it sounds hollow when I hit it with a hammer. Any one have any idea what happened to my tree and could what happen to it spread to my other maple tree on the other side of my yard. Any help would be great.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Brenda on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 4:13 PM ADTI see lots of questions but no answers. I have the same question "Can my tree be saved?"
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Bea on Saturday, June 16, 2012 9:30 PM ADTlooks like it's dogwood borers... several websites talk about.. it needs chemical treatment! Hope it helps.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Jim Brandt on Monday, June 18, 2012 8:03 PM ADTAfter reading all of the coments I see no one has a cure.If their is one please post it.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Bea on Monday, June 18, 2012 10:46 PM ADTit may be Verticillium (a fungus); if it is, it would cause a sudden death.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Bea on Friday, June 22, 2012 8:55 PM ADTabout Verticillium, there is no cure; it's very contagious and the tree needs to be cut very fast: you had to fertilize and water the trees all around about dogwood borers, you have to spray the tree with the right product the best is to cut a branch and ship it to the closest place, where it can be studied (like some universities). contact your town hall or a tree nursery or a tree specialist close to your yard
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Love on Wednesday, July 11, 2012 11:31 PM ADTWhat type of bug borrows right inside the bark of a maple tree and makes the bark appear to be splitting. Right where this is the bark is also soft. Can you help?
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Donna Garceau on Monday, August 20, 2012 5:31 PM ADTI have 3 maple trees in my yard that have sentimental meaning to us. Each one of my 3 boys got one when they were born. One of the maple trees at 28 years old decided to peel and the leaves dropped off as if fall arrived early. All the bark around the base is rotted and the tree looks dead. What could have done this and how could we protect the other two trees from doing the same. I live in CT. And the winter was very mild this year. Thank you, Donna
re: Maple40 year old maple Tree - was stubbed a tear ago now small holes and splits in tree
Posted by cari ann on Sunday, August 26, 2012 9:28 AM ADTmy 40 year maple was supposed to be trimmed but it got stubbed a year ago instead,it started sprouting a little last spring but the 100 degree weather killed it. my health was bad at that time and couldn't take care of it.now it has small holes and cracks in it, could it still have any life in it. I have been watering it and using miracle grow for 3 months now. I been told I am wasting my time. am I?
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Nancy on Sunday, April 7, 2013 8:45 PM ADTWe thought we had a maple tree in our boulevard. We live in Chicago. This tree sheds its bark two to three from spring to fall its leaves are the Canadian five point which led us to believe that it was a Hardwood Maple. We researched it and found out that it is a London Plane Tree which is a cross between an American Sycamore and an Oriental plane tree. You can look this up on. We googled Maple tree with round seed ball the size of a golf ball. Some identified it as a London Plane Tree. Please check Wikipedia for the London plane tree. It is not a Maple Tree even though the leaves look like it.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by Bill on Thursday, April 18, 2013 5:15 PM ADTI'm reading all these posts and no one has answered the the question. "What do you do to kill the bugs or treat the tree" I have the same thing happening to a young Maple.
re: Maple Tree - bark peeling
Posted by L J on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 3:17 PM ADTI have had this same on going problem with a sugar maple for years. This spring I had someone top it, it was 40 ft tall, and take most of the dead branches off. When I looked at the tree prunings I found that there were little flea like bugs crawling under the bark. I painted a systemic pesticide (cygon) around the tree trunk and around some of the branches. I am hoping the systemic pesticide will kill the little buggers when they chew under the bark. One branch I didn't reach to apply the pesticide is infected, the others seem to be doing ok this Spring.
