The top branches of my Japanese Maple (fireglow) keep dying. The leaves grow out, turn red then crinkle up and die. Then the main branches die also. This happens before it gets very hot. The rest of the tree looks fine to me. It’s been in the ground for about 2 years. I’m in S California.
Any ideas ?
I've lost two to freezing weather, but I'm in Wisconsin. Don't have a clue about whether they thrive in heat. Have you looked up diseases, if they are prone to certain kinds or whether extreme heat is bad for them? Good luck
Hi- I'm sorry to say it is most likely Verticillium wilt. It is a virus in the soil, and it will always be there. I used to collect JMs and had about 85 of them at one point, and I'm down to 24. Some plants can fight it off, but when they get stressed, just like us, their immune system loses the battle. I lost the majority of my trees after our arctic winter several years ago.
Rip it out, and replace it with a verticillium-resistant plant.
Basic info:
https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/tree-plant-care/plant-care-resources/verticillium-wilt/#overview
More detailed: https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/disandpath/fungalasco/pdlessons/Pages/VerticilliumWilt.aspx
I hate to say it but agree that it does sound/look like Verticillium wilt. There is a long list of plants, trees and shrubs that are susceptible to Verticillium wilt, Japanese Maples being one. If you decide to remove the tree, make sure that you don't reuse the soil in other parts of your garden where other susceptible plants may be. Also be careful to disinfect the garden tools you may use to dig it up and/or prune it. I've been battling it for years in my garden and have been trying very hard to make sure that it doesn't get anywhere near my Japanese maple but I may be losing that battle as well. Best of luck to you as you decide what you want to do.
University of California Davis, Division of Agricultural Sciences has a great list of what is/not susceptible: https://depts.washington.edu/hortlib/resources/ucdavis_verticillium.pdf
