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Trunk damage on Prunus Kojo-no-mai
ClareLouise
Posts: 3
Any help with identifying the issue as per photo would be much appreciated please.
This tree is approx 10 years old and has developed this nasty swollen and cracked trunk although the rest of the tree looks fine. I read Artemis's post yesterday thinking it was similar but there's no spongey material inside the bark that I can see. There is some sort of sawdust at the base of the tree though.... could it be insect damage do you think ? It's such a beautiful tree in spring but I have to say the trunk is pretty ugly looking now and I'm not sure if 6 weeks of lovely flower in spring makes up for it. I'd be really grateful for your thoughts as to what this could be and thanks in advance !
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How close is this picture. I'm trying to get some scale of this area. How long has it been like this? I think I can see the gummy texture that is normal from the tree so wondering how long it has been like this. If it's in a small area of the tree, it's best to prune out. If it's a large area, you may need to treat with wound paint. It's a good sign if you have not seen any signs of areas dying back, so it may be totally fine.
Thanks Borderline, I'll post a couple of wider views which might help but it's the whole trunk on one side facing south. Difficult to say how long ago it started but it wasn't there in April 2016 which is when some tall growing lavenders were planted underneath it. They outgrew the space and when I took them out today, I saw the state of the trunk. The first photo is another taken today and the second picture was taken in Oct 2015. The length of the trunk is only 28" (71cm) so quite short. I think if I knew for certain that it won't infect anything I'd probably leave it but I'm worried that whatever it is will spread. Hope this helps and thanks again.
Thanks for putting up further photos. That's quite a big area, so I don't advise you chop that off. So basically, it's around a year ago you noticed it, and you are not entirely sure if it happened from a heavy storm or some kind of damage. There are a number of reasons for wounds like this, but it does need watching. You did the right thing in removing other plants growing near it as you can see, it's a low tree and sometimes dampness and compacted waterlogging from surround areas can cause less favourable growing conditions and even provide a haven for fungal and bacterial growth.
It doesn't look too wet but the top part of the damage does need looking at, so even if you didn't apply any wound paint, you need to see how it looks every few weeks. It's especially prone to further attacks if there is excessive wet. Keep taking photos of that area every month to see if there are notable changes.
Sadly, there is no miracle cure for wounds like this. It is about keeping the growing conditions as good as possible for your tree. That means good air flow so there is no excess wet sitting on the areas too long and making sure the ground does not get compacted or even water-logged.
Hi Borderline, it's good to get your take on it, thank you. I will try and save it for as long as possible I think - the blossom in spring and autumn colour are both really nice so hopefully wound paint will help. It is odd the way it's burst the bark open but, even if it doesn't last through winter, the leaves are starting to turn red so I'll enjoy it while I can