Japanese Cherry Blossom Tree (I think)

Question: Hello,
It looks like something is eating away my tree at its trunk. The leaves appear to be dying. What can I do to save my tree?

responder: Pana Jones, Program Assistant  Replied July 27, 2023, 9:05 AM EDT
response: Hey, I am sorry to hear you are having problems with your cherry tree. Thank you for including pictures of the trunk and of the entire tree. I zoomed in as much as I could on the bark near the ground level of the tree. Unfortunately, I can only guess what the issue is since it could be a few different things-insect or animal or mechanical damage. One is that it might be a borer called the peach tree borer. This is the larvae stage of eggs laid by a clear-wing wasp and it has a life cycle built around any stone fruit and is a major pest of them. Probe gently into the damaged area with a knife or nail. If you find frass (their poop), this is what your tree is suffering from. Still probing gently just under the bark, you can find the borer and kill it. Make sure there are no other borer holes to address. I had this happen on one of my peach trees a couple of years ago. The tree recovered and produced fruit this year. If this is the problem, just know that the larval insect overwinters in the bark and around the base of the tree so make sure that all leaf and branch debris are cleaned up at the end of the season and removed. Good sanitation helps remove their protective shelter and any overwintering eggs too. I am including more information from NC State Extension with great images and a bit more information. Here is the link: Peachtree Borer | NC State Extension Publications (ncsu.edu) The following link gives some suggestions of chemicals that can be used to combat this problem. Peachtree Borer - 5.566 - Extension (colostate.edu) Another possibility is vole damage. As I am sure you know, voles will attack around the base of younger trees to feed on bark during the wintertime. Again, the recommendation to avoid this problem is to remove all leaf and branch debris under the tree removing anything that might hide voles and if mulching, make sure that the mulch is at least 6 inches away from the trunk. Good sanitation under a fruit tree is always recommended. You can also install a short fence with small holes, like hardware cloth, around the base of the tree over the winter to prevent any future damage. Please see more information here: Protecting Woody Plants from Vole Damage // Missouri Environment and Garden News Article // Integrated Pest Management, University of Missouri And lastly, it could be damage from string trimmers. I noticed that you have grass all the way up to the trunk of the tree. Is it possible that the trunk was accidentally nicked when trimming back grass around the tree? This is one reason why mulch is recommended to place around the tree. It reduces the weeds and then the weed trimmer won't be needed as much. Another reason for mulching would be because it helps even out the moisture in the soil around the roots. This reduces stress on the tree and a stressed tree attracts more opportunistic insects just looking for a meal. Mulch also helps keep the roots cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. I am betting it is the peach tree borer-since it is a favored plant and there is damage around the base of the tree. If you check the base of the tree and don't find frass or grub as described in one of the links included above, then carefully consider each of the other two possibilities. I hope this helps and that your tree recovers quickly. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help. Good luck! Kat, Master Gardener, Durham County

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 27, 2023, 9:29 AM EDT
response: Thanks very much!Sent from my iPhone On Jul 27, 2023, at 9:05 AM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: Pana Jones, Program Assistant  Replied July 27, 2023, 9:33 AM EDT
response: Glad to help