Sudden loss of limb, Catalpa

[newt]

Howdy all. I have a huge Catalpa (100 feet tall) in my front yard that seemed as healthy as could be up until last week when all the leaves on a single, very large limb suddenly shriveled up and have started falling off. I don't so much mind losing a single limb, but I am wondering if this could be an omen of things to come so to speak. We just moved to this house a year ago. The limb is starts about 15 feet above the ground and grows upwards (mostly) to around 70 feet. Thanks for any thoughts you have on this. I can't check back until this evening, but would appreciate any info.

 

[John Paul McMillin]

It could possibly be Verticillium wilt. There is no way to control this but it should be pruned out. Verticillium wilt usually shows a dark or bluish streaking in the sapwood. If the limb is too big for you to take off safely yourself, have an arborist remove it for you and give you his or her opinion on what it might be. john

 

[John Paul McMillin]

It could possibly be Verticillium wilt. There is no way to control this but it should be pruned out. Verticillium wilt usually shows a dark or bluish streaking in the sapwood. If the limb is too big for you to take off safely yourself, have an arborist remove it for you and give you his or her opinion on what it might be. john

 

[John Paul McMillin]

It could possibly be Verticillium wilt. There is no way to control this but it should be pruned out. Verticillium wilt usually shows a dark or bluish streaking in the sapwood. If the limb is too big for you to take off safely yourself, have an arborist remove it for you and give you his or her opinion on what it might be. VW lives in the soil and if the conditions are right it will be activated so to speak. john

 

[newt]

Yes, it is too big for me to do myself, or to be more accurate, it hangs over the road in front of my house. Out in the yard I could handle it, but my equipment (and experience) is limited. A couple of weeks ago the thing looked great.

I don't know if this could be a factor, I doubt it, but the flowers were all devastated by a storm on every catalpa in the area. Just washed right off by incredibly torrential rains and they hadn't even reached full bloom.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

It could be a canker too, or fracture from the storms you mentioned. I've seen large limbes on several species be shed abruptly with cracks or mechanical cankers from rubbing.

Like the uther John Paul CC Arbo said, get a profesional to remove it so a diagnosis can be made. Vert Wilt will spread.

 

[newt]

Well, I guess I found out what I need to know and that is whether to have just some tree guy take the limb down or get a licensed arborist and that latter seems the wiser choice. I would really hate to lose the tree, it is magnificient.

Thanks! This is a great resource.