Dying Madrone Tree

[Little Quacker]

Hello all of you tree lovers. I am new here and have a question. I hope it makes sense. I have a mature madrone tree in my yard(2 1/2 acres)right by my house. Over the last two years it has slowly died off except for one remaining large limb. The rest of this once beautiful tree is now dead. Can anyone tell me if there is a disease out there that would affect these beautiful trees? I sure do miss this tree and so do the birds as they loved the little berries and flowers on it.

I asked our Extension Service up north and they had no ideas at all.

Thanks so much...LQ

 

[TimberPig]

Could be similar to what is happening up here. Try this link
Story

 

[Little Quacker]

Thanks Timber! I think you have it! IT seems the Madrones are slowly dying out due to a number of fungal diseases etc. Total bummer!

Thanks again for your response...LQ

 

[iratehippie]

Howdy, I read the story that TimberPig posted...I haven't seen much info on madrones except to say the trees are dying. I haven't seen that fungus on the madrones around here. Most of the ones I see that die are more climate related, drought years, then to much water...over watering the yard etc, and if it's a yard tree, it's affected by herbicide/pesticide and maybe septic system.It also seems to me that madrones don't like to be climbed a lot or maybe ever, and most of the ones I've climbed to cut out dead wood, improve health,etc...keep dying back. I'm always tryin to save the tree, if I can, before I cut/winch/mill/firewood/butcher/mulch sawdust compost...peace

 

[techdave]

Madrone is sensitive to symbiosis/mychorrhiza

Hi IH, I believe, based on my limited observations as I travel north, that the madrone has similar requirements to manzanita aka arctostaphylos sp. I think this is a plant that thrives best as part of an intact community, especially including leaf litter and mycorrhiza intact. Also I think it may grow in a manner similar to manzanita in that dead limbs are a normal part of the tree and should be left intact or only pruned back in wood that is already dead. In other words maybe do not prune back to a live branch collar like in a typical tree. Can Vaden or someone else verify this or am I talking with my mouth?


Dave
jamul Ca--but thinking of BC around Stewart or maybe Cache creek?

Speaking of Canada---Props to that STIHL waters guy, being civil when all my (fellow?) Americans where being total hosers talking junk about your country despite the fact they cleary dont even know (or travel to it?).

 

[iratehippie]

Hey there,Techdave, lately I've been working for a forestry restoration outfit. Most of the work we get is "Fuel Reduction", part of the new fire plan. We are into keeping the natives, enhancing their growth, and eradicating anything else. So when it comes to any living bush or tree we are removing the dead/dying first, even in manzanita. We do this in madrone also. We remove all dead limbs in all keepers up to 15-20' high(tele pole pruner). I haven't noticed the fungus on madrones, but have seen something like the pictures, in the story(TimberPig), on manzanitas. I have a big madrone(40"dbh) right in front of my house, not in yard, on edge of woods, that I took out dead top at about 24-28"dbh, about 15 yrs. ago. This is one of the ones that lived, and appears to be healthy, cut back to 2 living limbs,(1big/1bigger), at about 20ft high. Someday, maybe I'll learn how to use camera and enclose photos. peace

 

[Trignog]

Speaking of Canada---Props to that STIHL waters guy, being civil when all my (fellow?) Americans where being total hosers talking junk about your country despite the fact they cleary dont even know (or travel to it?).

What thread was that. I want to bust on Canadia.