How to Tell If a Japanese Maple Is Dead

Japanese maple leaves turn color in the fall.

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) trees originate in Japan, Korea and China, as the name suggests. The trees provide a regal and colorful addition to landscaping, with pointed and lobed leaves ranging from deep green to purple. The Japanese maple loses its leaves in the winter, grows new leaves in the spring and reaches a height of up to 25 feet. Inadequate irrigation, root rot, fungal attack and nematode attack all can lead to Japanese maple death.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning saw

Instructions

1. Observe leaf growth. The tree should develop new leaves in the spring, which then turn red, orange or purple in the fall. The leaves should then turn brown and fall to the ground in the winter. If the tree develops no new leaves in the spring, it is completely dead.

2. Observe trunk growth. Trees expand their xylem tissue in the spring and summer each year, which expands the trunk's diameter and pushes the bark outward. If the tree is alive and growing, you should see a pink coloration in between some of the bark. If you do not observe any pink swelling of the trunk, the tree may be dead.

3. Observe the presence or absence of necrosis. Necrosis is the browning and death of parts of the tree or the entire tree. If you suspect that a portion of the tree is dead, scrape the bark with a pruning saw. If the tissue underneath is pink, that portion of the tree is alive. If the tissue underneath is brown and dry, that portion of the tree is dead.

4. Observe the presence or absence of fungal growth. Fungi, such as mushrooms, feed on dead plant matter. The presence of fungi on the tree is an indicator of Japanese maple death.

Tips & Warnings

• The clearest indicator of tree death is the complete absence of leaves in the spring and summer. Without leaves, a tree does not metabolize any nutrients. If these signs of tree death appear in only specific portions of the tree, remove those portions, ideally in the fall. Contact a local arborist for help in saving a tree that is not completely dead. Ensure that the tree receives adequate irrigation, but does not sit in pooled water.

References

• My Garden Guide: Japanese Maple
• J & F Tree Service: Signs of Dying, Dead or Diseased Trees
• Colorado State University: Tree Growth and Decay
• University of Connecticut: Japanese Maple