Is this tree dead?

[chisel]

About 2 months ago, the leaves on a hardwood tree (~ 18" dbh but I don't know what kind it is) in my front yard turned brown and fell off. I'd say the whole process took no more than a few weeks. Is it possible that this tree could still be living? I'd hate to cut it down if there's any chance it would leave out next spring. Thanks for any advice.

[SwampDonkey]

Photos?  ;)

[Ron Scott]

It would help to know the species or describe the leaves?? Just the one tree??

[Texas Ranger]

location would be nice as well, state, exposure, location on yard, etc.

[chisel]

Hi again everyone. I think I just spent an hour trying to figure out how to post a pic...I think I finally figured it out.

After studying the leaves on the tree and consulting my tree field guide, it seems these trees are possibly American Elm. What do you think? All of the leaves on the tree dried up and fell off as I said above, but there is one small twig of a branch just above my head that had green leaves on it. (see pic). BTW, I'm in western KY.

[chisel]

Here's a pic of the tree(s). Both are the same species. This pic posting process is still confusing to me... Whatever I do I can't find a way to copy the photo insertion code. After I click "click to copy photo insertion code" under the pic in my album, whenever I paste it in the msg. it pastes "javascript:selectThis('preSpan1')".

[Tom_Averwater]

Dutch elm disease.

[bitternut]

To answer your question ( is this tree dead? ) the tree is dead. It is an elm tree and what happened to your tree is quite common. I see the same thing happening all the time to other elm's. Might as well cut it down when you get the chance.

[chisel]

Thanks guys. I figured it was dead but I wanted to make sure. I hate to see any tree die, especially one in my front yard.  :'(

[populus]

It is certainly an elm, but I'm not so sure about the diagnosis of Dutch elm disease (DED). DED usually starts with individual limbs dying, and the disease spreads over several seasons. Death of the entire crown is more likely due to elm phloem necrosis (EPN). This disease is common in western Kentucky, though DED is present as well.

There is a simple test for phloem necrosis - peel off some bark and see if it smells like urine. Wood of EPN trees is often called 'pith elm.'  Makes for terrible firewood - nobody wants it in the house.

So that's your homework - does it smell like pith?

[SwampDonkey]

My cousins had to remove their elm this summer. It has been dying back for 4 or 5 years and finally bit the bullet. My grandfather and his brother planted one each at their homes and grandfather's died back in 1993. They were both about 30 inches on the butt end. Some one might be along in the fall to pick up the butt log, the rest was cut up for the kitchen stove. They said it didn't split hard green.

[Buzz-sawyer]

Why not build something nice outta it Swampy?To honor Grandpa?

[Phorester]

I agree with Populus, Chisel's tree problem sounds like EPN instead of DED.  EPN is most commonly called elm yellows these days.  Don't know why it was changed, but I reckon some pathologist somewhere thought it fit better.

I first saw elm yellows in my area about 10 years ago.  Now I see it over a wide geographical area, from the Southern Shenandoah Valley in VA up into Pennsylvania.  I think between elm yellows and dutch elm disease, no elm will ever die of old age here.  There's still plenty of elms here, elm saplings and pole-sized elms are very common.  But most of the big mature elms are gone from these two diseases.

[SwampDonkey]

Buzz, I made some bowls outta the elm wood back then. I still have some turning stock in the shop. Photos are on here somewhere in the old gallery. ;D I hauled the butt log to a portable mill along with some other wood species and I never did see that elm again.  >:(

[chisel]

It is certainly an elm, but I'm not so sure about the diagnosis of Dutch elm disease (DED). DED usually starts with individual limbs dying, and the disease spreads over several seasons. Death of the entire crown is more likely due to elm phloem necrosis (EPN). This disease is common in western Kentucky, though DED is present as well.

There is a simple test for phloem necrosis - peel off some bark and see if it smells like urine. Wood of EPN trees is often called 'pith elm.'  Makes for terrible firewood - nobody wants it in the house.

So that's your homework - does it smell like pith?

I pulled off some bark, but it didn't smell like urine if my smeller is correct. After the tree comes down I'll burn a bit of it as a test before I cut it up for firewood.

Thanks for everyone's help.

[jayfed]

I tried using two Dutch Elm trees for firewood. 

Elm has 1.) A very high water content and 2.) an interlocking grain that really makes for poor splitting.  Nothing like watching your splitting wedge literally squeeze the water of the larger trunk sections!

Wasn't worth the effort.

Yooper-at-large

[SwampDonkey]

Jay, my uncle came and borrowed our wood splitter to attempt to split some of that stuff. The wood splitter was never the same again. Weren't impressed.  >:(

[Minnesota_boy]

Most of our woods here split best through the center.  NOT elm.  Take a slice off the side, splits reasonably well.  Try it through the center, no go.

[maple flats]

MB is right, split it from the outside in, taking med size pieces at a time. If they need to be split further because they are too wide it can be done OK, but thru the center will be an extreme challenge for any wood splitter. I actually splits along a growth ring and then breaks off to the outside.