Hello, 1. We have a Japanese maple in the yard of our house which we bought last year. This year we've noticed a mould like substance on the bark and the trees look dead and are dropping. Would someone be able to help me identify what's happening? I'm new to gardening so would love to help this tree if possible. We don't know what caused this and if the tree is actually dead now. We have another smaller one close by and seems to be doing fine. 2. Another larger one across the yard is showing a bit of similar pattern on the trunk and the lower leaves seem to be drying up. I've attached pictures of 1. for help with identification. Thanks!
Hi, What is pictured on the bark is lichen, which is harmless to the tree. We would need more information to hazard a guess why the tree is in difficulty. How long has it been there? Has there been digging around the roots? What's the drainage like? etc. It does look as though it was girdled with an old tag in the first pic, and I can see the bark peeling off which isn't a good sign...
