Hickory tree

Question: Hello, I have a hickory tree in my backyard that has developed a group of light colored leaves. Same thing happened last year and it lost a lot of its leaves although it looks very healthy right now when I took the picture, the sunlight was on the entire tree, and the section is definitely lighter than the rest of the leaves, the light section is on the west side of the tree, it is about 25 feet from the ground, what could be causing this?  Is there anything I should do

responder: Dennis Mohn  Replied June 28, 2023, 7:17 AM EDT
response: Hello Dick,      Let me do a little research into your question and I will get right back to you. A question I have is , has there been any construction or disturbance to the soil around the tree? The root zone of a mature can be as much as one and a half times the spread of the canopy.

responder: Dennis Mohn  Replied June 28, 2023, 10:41 AM EDT
response: Hello Dick, A few more questions ,if I may.  Is the yellowing in the same location as before? Does there appear to be small holes around the trunk of the tree close to the base? Are there any other branches affected? When did the lighter green leaves fall and did they turn brown , did other leaves develop to replace them? is this a high traffic area or an area where children play ?

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 28, 2023, 1:17 PM EDT
response: Hi DennisThanks for looking into this.See my responses below.On Jun 28, 2023, at 10:41 AM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: Dennis Mohn  Replied June 28, 2023, 2:01 PM EDT
response: Hello Sir,   Your message was cropped somehow. I was unable to read your responses. Could you please try again.   At the present moment , depending on the responses , I would recommend doing nothing , to the tree or to contact an arborist , who would be able to get into the tree , and have a physical inspection.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 28, 2023, 3:02 PM EDT
response: HelloLet’s try again, here are my answers Is the yellowing in the same location as before?YesDoes there appear to be small holes around the trunk of the tree close to the base?No, trunk looks good, no bugs noticed on the tree at ground levelAre there any other branches affected?No, just this one areaWhen did the lighter green leaves fall and did they turn brown , did other leaves develop to replace them?They did turn earlier than the rest last and fall off, and no replacementsis this a high traffic area or an area where children play ?No, it is located at the back edge of my city lot and there is my wooden privacy fence just beyond it.  There was a farmer’s fence row many many years ago and this tree was part of it.And your earlier question about a disturbance in the roots?No nothing change in the areaThanks Dick HacheyOn Jun 28, 2023, at 2:01 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: Dennis Mohn  Replied June 28, 2023, 5:07 PM EDT
response: Hello again,    As I stated earlier, I don't think I would anything . Monitor the tree and if it appears to spread or increase in area it would be advisable to call in an arborist to get someone into the tree for a closer look .     I checked thru for diseases or insects which could cause something like is in your picture. Verticillium Wilt is always a possibility when there is dieback on one side of a tree, but the leaves came back this year and no other portion of the tree was effected . Hickory is also resistant to Verticillium Wilt.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 28, 2023, 5:57 PM EDT
response: Ok, thanks for your response and investigation.DickOn Jun 28, 2023, at 5:07 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿