Type of Tree and why is the bark black?

[xheesh]

The bark is not black throughout. It sort of looks like it was charred in a fire.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Looks like a Sugar Maple. A close up of the leaves would help, as well as the bark in question.

 

[Bobby Kirbos]

+1 -- looks like a sugar maple. I have seen dark patches of bark on other trees. It's usually damp from the tree's sap.

 

[JeffGu]

It's called bacterial wetwood and it rarely kills the tree. The bacteria usually enter from a wound, and feed on the tree's sap... lowering oxygen levels and creating an anaerobic condition, which is why the oozing sap smells bad.
Back in the day, people drilled holes in the trees, thinking it would lower the internal pressure... it actually makes the problem worse, not better. The higher internal pressures that cause the oozing are the result of fermentation. This actually makes it harder for wood rotting fungi to enter that part of the tree. There isn't any effective control, that I know of, for bacterial wetwood.

 

[buzz sawyer]

It's called bacterial wetwood and it rarely kills the tree. The bacteria usually enter from a wound, and feed on the tree's sap... lowering oxygen levels and creating an anaerobic condition, which is why the oozing sap smells bad.
Back in the day, people drilled holes in the trees, thinking it would lower the internal pressure... it actually makes the problem worse, not better. The higher internal pressures that cause the oozing are the result of fermentation. This actually makes it harder for wood rotting fungi to enter that part of the tree. There isn't any effective control, that I know of, for bacterial wetwood.

Found this. http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/bacterial-wetwood-2-910/

 

[BC WetCoast]

And here I thought on the first pic, the problem was due to poor camera exposure.

 

[xheesh]

Here is a close up of the bark and leaves.

 

[xheesh]

It's called bacterial wetwood and it rarely kills the tree. The bacteria usually enter from a wound, and feed on the tree's sap... lowering oxygen levels and creating an anaerobic condition, which is why the oozing sap smells bad.
Back in the day, people drilled holes in the trees, thinking it would lower the internal pressure... it actually makes the problem worse, not better. The higher internal pressures that cause the oozing are the result of fermentation. This actually makes it harder for wood rotting fungi to enter that part of the tree. There isn't any effective control, that I know of, for bacterial wetwood.

It does not appear to be oozing any sap though.

 

[Jason Douglas]

I've seen sugar maple hit by sapsuckers pretty hard and the oozing sap is then colonized by black sooty mold. Perhaps an option.