Sycamore questions

[SpaceTaxi]

Anthracnose?

Sycamore anthracnose?

Usually this will affect the twigs and leaves of the tree as it leafs out, causing dieback. Its pretty common on sycamores here in the Mid-Atlantic. In fact, its pretty uncommon to find a tree that doesn't have it.

Interesting thing is that otherwise healthy sycamores tend to outgrow it. I've seen instances when a tree will simply push out another set of leaves during a growing season after loosing their first batch. Some years are worst than others, mostly due to environmental factors (rain, temperature, etc.)

Other than structural concerns due to decay, it might be best just to leave alone. I think that the timing of the exposure is such that you would have to do several applications of a foliar fungicide during the spring, which would be expensive.

Thanks,

SpaceTaxi

 

[Treeman14]

That looks like fire damage to me. Burn pile, BBQ, hot tar roofing trailer parked under the tree? Anything along those lines? Kind of unusual to have the decay on the underside of the limb. Also, sycamores often suffer from summer limb drop.

 

[Treeman14]

Or it could be more squirrel damage.

 

[BRIAN J. SMITH]

I would not entertain any thoughts of knocking it down... Make sure you have a American Sycamore there and not a London Plane...... (although my opinion would not change)

If your client is open to trying new things (without threatinig the overall health of the tree) I would want to try cambistat on it to help the tree localize and fight off the infections (if it is a canker).

JMHO

 

[Dadatwins]

Kind of looks burned to me also, especially that the damage was on the underside of the limbs. Maybe overspray from lawn fertlizer? Were the damaged limbs on the house side, maybe getting to much reflected heat off the roof? Sycamore / LP both pretty hardy tree easy to take of, just a pita to work on especially when the pollen gets built up on the leaves. Best to work on them in the rain or right after if possible to keep the dust down.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Can't ID fungus, but I would inspect whole crown and remove the worst of the diseased branches. Cambistat for disease control, maybe, but good to ID that white stuff first.