Introduction
Maple trees can be found growing across the world, usually in the Northern Hemisphere in places like Asia, Europe, and North America. Much of the time, these hardwood trees are used for decorative purposes and can be found outside homes and businesses. Maple trees are also popular in the art of bonsai, and make great sources of timber for popular items such as baseball bats, butchers blocks, furniture and more. Of course, maples are also the number one source for maple syrup. In other words, maple trees are an important part of our everyday lives, but unfortunately, maple trees can easily become diseased. Maple tree diseases can kill your trees if you are not careful.
Maple Wilt
Verticillium wilt, or maple wilt as it is more commonly known, is one of the most popular maple tree diseases. It is also one of the most dangerous maple tree diseases. Maple wilt starts with Verticillium fungus that is found in the soil. It eventually spreads through the tree's roots and up into the limbs, and it will eventually take over your entire tree and possibly the other trees around it.
A tree with maple wilt will have leaves that appear to be dying or wilting. Its sap will be streaked green, and its limbs will eventually start dying. If your tree is healthy, the maple wilt may go away on its own, but this is a chance you never want to take once you confirm that the tree has the disease. Unfortunately, the best way to get rid of the disease is to destroy the tree and any leaves that may have fallen from it, so they don't affect other trees in the area.
Sapstreak
Another one of the serious maple tree diseases you should be on the lookout for is Sapstreak. This one is extremely dangerous and should be taken care of immediately. It's caused by a fungus called Ceratocystis coerulescens, and it can spread quickly. The tree will stop growing limbs and leaves, and the bark or trunk will become discolored. It can spread from tree to tree through insects, and it could eventually wipe out all trees in your area. If your tree becomes infected with sapstreak, you should destroy it immediately. The disease is common in the United States in areas along the east coast, as well as in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Tips and comments
When your tree develops one of the many maple tree diseases, it can lead to a devastating loss. The best way to prevent this is to take care of your trees, keep them healthy and always be on the lookout for the beginnings of any problems. Prune, water and fertilize your trees regularly, and keep the ground around them clean and free of debris. And when you do notice something that doesn't quite look right, try to find out what it is immediately. If it's too late to save your tree, make sure you cut it down and destroy it properly so that the disease does not spread to the other trees in your yard or garden.
