Bigleaf Maple Decline (Bigleaf Maple Dieback)
45 host plants
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Bigleaf maple trees show progressive branch dieback, leaf yellowing, and eventual death from stress and pathogens. Improve growing conditions.
Good sanitation is your most effective tool against bigleaf maple decline (bigleaf maple dieback). Remove and dispose of infected plant material, clean up fallen debris, and sterilize your pruning tools between plants. Reduce leaf wetness by watering at soil level and spacing plants for adequate air movement. These practices reduce the pathogen load in your garden over successive seasons.
Quick Reference
Management
Proximity to roads; urban/suburban development; elevated summer temperatures; extended droughts; soil compaction and root stress; salinity from winter road treatment
Cultural Controls
- Maintain trees as best you can with minimal care and infrequent deep waterings during the summer months while forest pathologists scratch their heads.
- References Betzen, J.
- J., Ramsey, A., Omdal, D., Ettl, G.
- J. and Tobin, P.
- C. 2021.
- Bigleaf maple, Acer macrophyllum Pursh, decline in western Washington, USA.
Bigleaf maple decline was first widely documented in 2010 and is widespread throughout western Washington and Oregon, possibly extending into California. Proximity to roads, urban development, and elevated summer temperatures are positively associated with decline in this region.