MOLDY MAPLES...PERHAPS NOT!
Hi Stan.
My otherwise healthy maple developed
black bark this summer - looks like a sooty mould. The leaves
were fine, dropped normally, but the bark is still black. The
tree is out in the open, fairly dry and definitely sunny. It
is the only maple that developed this. Can you tell me what it
is and if it's treatable without nasty chemicals?
Thanks.
Darlene
From Tawatinaw Valley N. of Rochester
Darlene - I know your area quite well, as I winter hiked and
camped for some days following the old Athabasca Trail. Your
maple is doing what most maples do. They secrete their fluids
during a stressful time of the year, and the black or brown mould
spores take up house keeping until the sap has been used. You
will also see many aphids in the immediate area, as they too
enjoy the excretion. Brush down the area with mild soap and water.
That's it.
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