Forgive my lack of knowledge, I'm not a greenthumb by any means. We have a Maple tree in our front yard that is about ten years old. Yesterday, one of the major branches tore off (it's still hanging on by a little bit while the branch itself is resting on our lavender plant). This came out of nowhere, as the tree has always seemed fairly healthy and was trimmed three years ago to ensure proper growth. The leaves have grown like they normally do each spring and summer. The tear area itself has some dark brown around it, like moisture. I haven't stood on a step stool yet to get a closer look. It has been a mixture of very hot and night wind where I live, but it's been hotter and windier over the years. I'm not sure if this contributed to it. Does a sudden branch collapse like this sound like a fungus or disease? Should I be worried about the rest of the tree? Should I avoid parking next to it for the time being? I can attach a photo later if it will help. Thanks!
Need to see a pic but meantime you should remove the broken branch with a clean cut close to the trunk but leaving the 'ring' to assist healing (the ring is the little raised area where the branch meets the trunk of the tree. It is what will grow across the wound to heal the cut)
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) and not a maple tree. Fast-growing, short-lived and prone to breakage, especially if snow comes in fall while tree is still in leaf.
Thanks for properly identifying it. I Googled around and I'm definitely not the only one who's had this exact same problem. Do you recommend keeping the tree and just cleaning up the broken area? Or perhaps trying to prune back some of the branches? Or getting rid of it altogether?
When you have a form with good fall color, certainly not always the case - Seattle has had a lot of street trees of a type that colors poorly (merely yellow, for the most part) and drops very late, making it liable to break up under the weight of early snowfalls. We had one such in the yard here for some years, until it was smashed by snow. It did have some fall color.
Totally agree about Liquidambar being weak and fussy and very prone to breakage. I feel bad when I see them as street trees. They hate pollution ( like on sidewalks and blvd's) they grow poorly in areas that limit root growth ( like on sidewalks and blvd's) they are not drought tolerant ( like on sidewalks and blvd's) they prefer a pH on the acid side ( unlike a sidewalk or blvd ) and susceptible to chlorosis in poor or basic soils( like under sidewalks or blvd's ) I thinks its safe to say they don't like being street trees and are pretty much diva's, but when they are happy......................
