Please see photos- what is wrong with my maple trees?

[jfarrell71]

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I live on the south shore in MA and a lot of the maple trees in my area have the same symptoms as mine. The trunk is covered with a light green lichen (I think it's lichen), the leaves are spotty and yellowing- if they grow at all. There are branches that appear to have just broken off- I guess they're brittle. Some of the branches have either a thick coating of some kind of white mold or other growth. Others have a reddish growth blanketing them. I have seen trees that are much worse than mine. My brother-in-law's maple has not produced leaves in two years and his has the same symptoms as mine. He loses branches every time it's windy and so do I. What is wrong with this tree? I have heard that lichen is harmless. I have three maples on my property, all with the same problem- I don't want to lose them. Is this a tree disease? Or an insect problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated. We just bought the house (our first house) 4 months ago. I guess I never really noticed trees before!

 

[pinus]

On the first pic, there is something lichen, which is not dangerous for tree. Lichens are only using tree as the basement, not attacking tree tissues.
the white film on the next pics is real roting fungus, feeding from tree tissues.
Probably someone here will give you more information what exactly is and what to do.

 

[Sheshovel]

All I can tell you is your brothers tree's are dead if they have not produced leaves in two years.What I am thinking is Anthracnose, pest problems have caused the trees to decline and that's the reason the fungus are attacking.I need to see the base of the tree and the area around the trunk to know whats going on.

 

[treeseer]

dead limbs are full of fungus because they have not been pruned. Some of these fungi can enter the parent stem; that is the first reason for crown cleaning.

An arborist on site can give you an inventory of those trees, let you know how to manage them, and take the dead limbs off. Your house got inspected when you bought it; why not your trees?

 

[jfarrell71]

Hi- thanks for your help. I will take pictures of the base of the tree for you- hopefully you can tell more, thanks.

 

[Urban Forester]

The brown necrosis in the leaf tissue does appear to be anthracnose. The Black 'spots' are tar spot. Neither one will cause terminal decline. These trees appear to be in 'deep kimshi'. In jpg 112-1274 it would appear that there is a SIZABLE infection of Nectria Canker, considering the deadwood that's present it's not suprising as this disease has many vectors for entry and deadwood tops the list. Has this been slow decline? Are there basal fruiting structures (possible ganoderma)? Did sections begin to go in no paticular order (vert. wilt). Is soil compaction, construction injury possible?