What’s up with the cherry trees?

[nybhh]

The tops of a lot of the black cherry trees (good sun) on our property are dying off and they remind me a lot of the way the ash trees degraded over the years in their latter stages.  There are a couple of main branches that have leafed out but the rest are all dead.  Anyone know of anything afflicting cherry?  The irony is these trees are close to where a lot of our ash were.  Has anyone heard of the EAB jumping the cherry?

[breederman]

How big are they? A lot of mine do that when they get to 6 or 8 inch's in diameter. I'm east of you a ways.

[HemlockKing]

I have some that are like that, also mine get hit pretty hard by black knot

[nybhh]

The ones I'm noticing most are relatively mature and tall.  Diameter of this one for example is probably around 12" dbh. This is a photo I just took of one I can see from my deck but many are doing something similar...

[petefrom bearswamp]

I lost 40 or so last year, dying back from the top.
These were mature trees ranging from 22 to 26" dbh that had full crowns the previous year.
I am a retired consulting forester and had no plans to harvest any of this timber in the rest of my lifetime.
I had the DEC forester look at them and contacted  a gal at the state University college of  environmental science and forestry.
Neither had any idea why these trees were dying.
I at least was able to market these trees for a good price and my son and I are utilizing the tops for firewood.
So far this year all look good.

[moodnacreek]

They often do that here, Orange county, but up in Sullivan Co. [a higher elevation] they become a climax tree.

[nybhh]

@petefrom bearswamp wow, that's rough.   I do love cherry firewood though.  

Seems like this is a relatively common occurrence, in NY at least.  I did send an email and a photo to a contact at the CFA (catskill forest association).  See if they know anything going on.