We have a mature Weeping Cherry tree that adorns our front entrance to our Connecticut home. We have noticed over the last few years that sap dribbles from its trunk along with what I call bark stripping away. This has been a particularly long cold winter here in New England. The tree has flowered evry spring. What, if anything should I do to enhance it's beauty and longevity? [/B]
Gummosis is normally the tree's healthy response to injury. Essentially, cherries produce a sticky goo that acts as a barrier to further damage from the injury. Frost cracks, usually caused by rapidly falling temperatures, could be the source of the damage and gummosis. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with frost cracks on cherry trees in Vancouver, as such conditions here are rare. In Vancouver, gummosis is often a sign that the cherry tree is infected with bacterial canker or brown rot. Typically, a tree infected with bacterial canker develops unsightly carbuncles from which the gummosis exudes. These are usually located at the point of an injury (such as line trimmer or mower damage) or at a graft union. Brown rot usually kills off smaller branches and originates in flowers and young tissues. A picture might be very useful for diagnosis.
