Acer Circinatum "Little Gem"- Was it a steal or a $20 Verticillium carrier?

[JmoneyJonathan]

Hi all,

I purchased a large clearance section Acer Circinatum "Little Gem" today from a local landscaping nursery, and I'm hoping somebody can help me identify its sickness and whether it should be tossed or salvaged. The tree has large sections of dieback which I assumed to be a result of drought; however, upon closer inspection, I see several things that lead me to believe the cause is far more sinister, possibly verticillium wilt. Most branches have died from the tips; a significant portion of the tree has died back completely (2 of 3 trunks); the base and several veins of the live trunk are blackened; and the heartwood displays what seems to be the characteristic discoloration that we expect for verticillium. The trunk base also had white spots on the surface (circled in red), not to be confused with the wood shavings scattered from the saw.


However, a look at some afflicted branches' cross sections gives me hope that verticillium is not the culprit. To my eye, these samples exhibit both dieback and blackening of live tissues, but they do not exhibit the dark rings in their heartwood. I supposed it's possible that the lower section is in fact infected, while the top sections that I sampled have dieback from a separate environmental condition.



Please let me know what you all think. While I would love to see this tree thrive, I will burn it by the end of the week if it has verticillium. If it something else is the issue, is it possible to save? Thank you in advance for your time and expertise.

Best,

Jon

P.S. I apologize for my first post being "help me with this disease." I searched other threads, but I did not come to a satisfying diagnosis for this tree. I have some interesting projects that I will share one of these days.

 

[Rivian]

Liability
I tend to throw away in these situations. A 10% chance to infect my 20 other maples is not good odds.

 

[coachspinks]

Hi all,

I purchased a large clearance section Acer Circinatum "Little Gem" today from a local landscaping nursery, and I'm hoping somebody can help me identify its sickness and whether it should be tossed or salvaged. The tree has large sections of dieback which I assumed to be a result of drought; however, upon closer inspection, I see several things that lead me to believe the cause is far more sinister, possibly verticillium wilt. Most branches have died from the tips; a significant portion of the tree has died back completely (2 of 3 trunks); the base and several veins of the live trunk are blackened; and the heartwood displays what seems to be the characteristic discoloration that we expect for verticillium. The trunk base also had white spots on the surface (circled in red), not to be confused with the wood shavings scattered from the saw.
View attachment 467270View attachment 467272View attachment 467273View attachment 467275View attachment 467276View attachment 467277

However, a look at some afflicted branches' cross sections gives me hope that verticillium is not the culprit. To my eye, these samples exhibit both dieback and blackening of live tissues, but they do not exhibit the dark rings in their heartwood. I supposed it's possible that the lower section is in fact infected, while the top sections that I sampled have dieback from a separate environmental condition.

View attachment 467279View attachment 467278View attachment 467280View attachment 467281

Please let me know what you all think. While I would love to see this tree thrive, I will burn it by the end of the week if it has verticillium. If it something else is the issue, is it possible to save? Thank you in advance for your time and expertise.

Best,

Jon

P.S. I apologize for my first post being "help me with this disease." I searched other threads, but I did not come to a satisfying diagnosis for this tree. I have some interesting projects that I will share one of these days.

Like Rivian said, get rid of it. When I suspect wilt, I don't fight it and hope it isn't. The cost of being wrong is too high.

 

[JmoneyJonathan]

Into the trash it goes. Thank you both for your input.

 

[Rivian]

Dont feel too bad about it, its part of the hobby unfortunately.
By the way, I had this variety on my wishlist but eventually found that they cant compete with palmatums in Spring, so dont really care for it anymore.

 

[coachspinks]

Dont feel too bad about it, its part of the hobby unfortunately.
By the way, I had this variety on my wishlist but eventually found that they cant compete with palmatums in Spring, so dont really care for it anymore.

Yes, it eventually happens to just about everyone. I lost my favorite maple to wilt last year. Initially I went down the same road as you did, thought maybe it wasn't, maybe I could save it. That lasted about 5 minutes...

 

[JmoneyJonathan]

Dont feel too bad about it, its part of the hobby unfortunately.
By the way, I had this variety on my wishlist but eventually found that they cant compete with palmatums in Spring, so dont really care for it anymore.

All in the game. I know better than to catch feelings for a sick plant. I can't tell you that I didn't go back to buy a perfectly healthy (but pricier) one from the same clearance section today though. I think it will make a great project even if its spring color isn't as nice as a palmatum's.

 

[JmoneyJonathan]

Yes, it eventually happens to just about everyone. I lost my favorite maple to wilt last year. Initially I went down the same road as you did, thought maybe it wasn't, maybe I could save it. That lasted about 5 minutes...

I've had maples for a couple of years now, but this was my first encounter with it. I hope it will also be my last, but I'll know what to look for next time if not.