I have a mature Japanese maple that’s been healthy for a long time. This spring one of the three main trunks had no leaves on it from bottom to top while the other three were fine. Now some limbs on the trunks are dying as well. What could cause this? I’m in SE US.
I believe you are correct
Yes verticillium wilt is usually the culprit with Japanese maples. I can’t remember the details but blackened limbs and a black ring in the cambium are all signs I believe. Sometimes they pull through and just lose a couple limbs but sometimes it persists for years so just depends on the conditions and how healthy the tree was to begin with.
Yep. There is really no “cure” either. Best solution i have found is just keep the tree as healthy as possible and fertilize frequently to keep new growth coming out. You can kind of “outgrow” it if the infection isnt too severe.
Based upon the amount of usable information provided, could be anything.
Verticillium wilt has been ravaging redbuds, dogwoods and Japanese maples in the nursery I work. Soil borne fungal disease with no cure, NCNLA just had a seminar on it recently because it’s becoming such an issue in the industry. That and the dreaded ambrosia beetle have been wiping out mature trees by the droves.
Looking around my neighborhood today I saw a few more trees with the same symptoms I hope it’s not an outbreak of it in my area
I live in the southeast as well, i always have problems with verticillium wilt with japanese maples. Not enough info to say for sure, but look into that and see if its similar to what you are experiencing.