My wife and I have just moved into a new house and the all the trees in the back yard seem to be decaying. I know nothing about trees and horticulture but I hoped that by posting a photo someone might be able to shed light on the issue. I don't even know what type of trees I have.
Hi Flex, Your tree looks like a Mountain alder. There are several species of Alder. Is this your tree? http://www.arborday.org/trees/WhatTree.cfm?ItemID=w63B http://ww1.clunet.edu/wf/mtn/flowers/fwr-283.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_alder http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_alder http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/ALNGLUA.pdf I think you are seeing leafminer damage. http://www.ipmimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=1326093 http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r280300911.html The last picture is lichen on the trunk and is harmless. I like the look as I think it gives character to a tree. http://www.lichen.com/sampler.html http://www.hainaultforest.co.uk/3lichenphotos.htm Newt
It's an elm (not an alder). The leaves look like they've been attacked by a leaf-mining insect; these are not generally very serious, despite looking awful. Not much can be done about them, either.
Hi Michael, Thanks for helping me out on the tree id. Since it's an elm, the damage resembles the Elm Leaf Beetle and it's larvae. http://www.entomology.umn.edu/cues/Web/119ElmLeafBeetle.pdf Newt
