Why Is My Gum Tree Shedding Bark

A previous owner planted it and i m not confident that.

Why is my gum tree shedding bark. The large spotted gum tree in my little back yard sheds its bark each year and after ten years of living with it i finally learned a valuable life lesson from it. Signs of this can include. It typically colonizes the sapwood of trees stressed by drought sunburn or. It is a strong and majestic tree.

There are several fungi that can cause eucalyptus tree diseases. Over those years i ve admired this beautiful tree. Dead or dying twigs and leaves unusual occurrences of dripping or oozing sap. Peeling bark caused by this disease is accompanied by yellowing and wilting leaves and dying branches.

You can tell the bark will soon begin to peel because the western side of the tree changes colour first david said. Leaves turn yellow and drop and it is common to see eucalyptus trees dropping their branches as the disease takes hold. Some peeling bark can perform photosynthesis contributing to the rapid growth and overall health of the tree. It s the smooth ones that shed either all or some of their bark.

In addition the wood under the peeling bark is covered with a mat of fungus. The most common are presented here. Stem girdling roots are a problem that are very often over looked. The most common cause of tree bark loss is that it is growing out of its skin which must be shed to allow its trunk to enlarge.

Stem girdling roots are a major issue when planting a nursery bought tree. Diseases and pests weaken a tree and cause distress that can result in a tree shedding its bark. Shedding eucalyptus tree bark may help keep the tree healthy. Turkey tail fungus trametes versicolor is found on cut or fallen wood or on wounded areas of living sweet gum trees.

Decorticating bark can be seen in many species all year round with long flakes of old bark seen hanging from the crowns of trees. In other cases tree bark may fall off due to insect infestation. An australian native corymbia maculata is endemic to the eastern states of australia. This bark shedding is called decorticating and is a normal thing to see especially with smooth barked gum trees such as sydney bluegum spotted gum and ribbon gums hence their name like eucalyptus viminalis.

People can use trunks of these trees as features in their own gardens and the peeled bark makes great mulch to retain water in garden beds. Reason that the bark is peeling off of a mature tree.