Does this look like Verticillium wilt in a Japanese maple?
1- branch about 1/2 inch diameter, this branch one of many having few,s stunted leaves and dead twigs
2- whole tree, the left looks normal the right many branches have few leaves and many twigs are dead
3- area of bark 'open' at base of sick branch, found a couple other example of that too.
(Looks like a bad time to be a Maple around here)
Sallyg, I'm not a botanist, but I've had some sad experience in the last two years with verticillium wilt and I would say that is it, by looking at the pics.
Your best bet is to chop it down if more than one or two branches is affected. It MAY fight it off, but honestly - not likely. I had to get rid of three viburnums because of this nasty microbe. : ( So very sorry!
Thanks, sherrieden. ( I thought I responded earlier , sorry)
It sure sounds exactly like the descriptions I've read, and pics. Its a no name home sprouted tree and not a great loss. Not at all like your three bushes I imagine!
Tough part is finding a replacement item I already have, NOT on the 'prone to verticillium' list.
Well, I'll tell you what I did . . . I researched to see what shrubs are resistant to v. wilt and found that ninebark (physocarpus opulifolius) is a resistant species. I had a 'Summer Wine' variety that I already decided was in the wrong place and plopped it right in the hole the sick viburnum came out of. That was last year. This year, it's beautiful! I honestly think these "bad" microbes live in every soil and only attack certain species and then only when the individual is already stressed somehow.
funny---I have a big Summer Wine. I moved it last fall because it was too wide where it was. Moved to a spot just way too shady in reality. And then forgot to keep it watered in this drought. Its pretty sad but wouldn't be hard to dig up again. - Which would give me a great shady place for the oakleaf hydrangea I now have...
There you go - problem solved!
Morton Arboretum, on Verticillium
http://www.mortonarb.org/tree-plant-advice/article/16884/verticillium-wilt.html
