I have a very sorry Maple tree in my new house. It's very old and looks like it has been neglected. I've finally gotten around to spending some time on it and I noticed some red growth on the leaves and have no clue what it might be. Can someone help me out? The tree itself also looks damaged with quite a bit of bark missing and even has a plant growing out from where an old branch was ( not a good sign I assume... ). What should I do to help this poor tree?
Acer pseudoplatanus purpureum. Yes, there could be enough damage and deterioration to make it liable to split apart some time. The three main branches all coming together at the same point might indicate structural weakness as well - it depends on how they are joined together and how much damage from decay there has been. Have an ISA certified arborist or two look at it and give opinions.
They are bladder mites. This may sound odd, but they can look attractive. If an outbreak were not "severe - severe", I'd almost enjoy having the mites for a conversation piece. See - my photos is better looking than yours - LOL But that trunk is probably worth a good long look by an arborist in your area. If that's all you have on the tree, don't get too stressed.
Although wise to get it inspected on site by an ISA-registered arboricultural consultant, I'd not worry very much - Acer pseudoplatanus is very commonly planted here, but despite that, a dead or broken specimen is extremely rare, I hardly ever see any come down. They are long-lived (300+ years) and have very tough wood which does not decay readily. Completely different to the fragility of A. saccharinum or A. platanoides.
Dear Ron, M.D. and Michael, Thank-you so much for your replies. Now that I have stopped panicking and read a bit about Bladder mites, I have a better idea about what to do. Best Regards
Here's one that did decay and blow down . . . but only when it was over 450 years old. The exception that proves the rule. http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6UEJB9