Here in France we are struggling with the effects of late frosts, but my 'Eddisbury' hasn't started to leaf at all. It's a big plant, and about 30 years old, and had been doing fine in its present location since being planted (from a huge container) four years ago. Thinking back to last summer, we noticed it had changed to autumn colours very early - around August, before the leaves actually dropped at the normal time. Was this the distress signal from a sinking tree? It certainly looks dead now, with patches of discoloration on the bark. I've read on here that some newer cultivars don't live as long as the old: is Eddisbury one of them? Do I now need to chop and burn it, to avoid possible disease spread? And what can I replace it with? - I take it another A.palmatum would be a bad idea. All thoughts welcome - thank you! Chris
No, I'm afraid not, thank you for asking! It was pronounced dead yesterday, and cremated shortly after with due phytosanitary reverence. I'll plant something totally different there, preferable something expendable - I've a job lot of weird seed-grown Sorbus varieties in the nursery area, so will risk one of those.
Based on the description of the bark it seems that one of two things happened to your tree. It is hard on us to have this happen but once a tree has reached the end of its life span this kind of event can occur. The final act is to see the tree develop allover Fall coloring earlier in the season than normal (all things being equal and the tree was not overly stressed), not set vegetative buds for the upcoming year and as a result it does not leaf out in the Spring. Another common cause is the tree finally succumbing to the Verticillium alboatrum build up in the plants vascular system and by your account of the discoloration this is indeed a real possibility. Eddisbury for years has been plagued with this internal fungus in the plants system that can kill severely weakened or overly stressed trees or over time kill older trees that have lost their vigor. Hard to say for sure what happened to your tree but having a thirty year old Eddisbury is doing very well, Chris. Most people in the past have not had one get up to that age is the harsh reality of this cultivar. Jim
