Peeling Bark And What To Do About It

If your tree is missing hunks of bark, it doesn’t look so good. Is something’s wrong?

If you see peeling bark on your tree, help your tree by realizing what’s going on and learning the specifics regarding peeling bark and what to do about it.

My tree is losing bark?  Why?
It’s typical for a tree to lose bark. For some types such as silver maple, birch, and sycamore, shedding big hunks of bark is appealing and natural for the tree. Other trees, including pine, maple, ash, and oak develop from the inside out, so the older bark drops off to make room for the newer bark.

If there’s healthy bark beneath the peeling layers, your tree is fine. But if you see any adverse signs, your tree requires some help. Schedule an appointment with an arborist.

Reasons bark falls off
Bark comes off after frost, which usually occurs on the tree’s southwest or south side. Any sharp swing in temperature can cause trees to crack under stress and shed bark.

Bark comes off after extreme heat, which strips bark down to the wood.
Bark comes off a damaging tree, which means you’d view other indications of stress like dead leaves and twigs, cankers, or sap.

Is my tree dying when the bark falls off?
There’s no one answer to this question. If the tree seems healthy, there’s a chance it’s just peeling for growing. If your tree lost bark after adverse weather, you should contact a tree specialist for an examination to make sure that no serious harm was done.

What to do about pine, ash, maple, and oak tree bark falling off
If the bark is peeling with no additional symptoms, it’s likely due to weather stress. Stressed trees love mulch and water. So, apply organic mulch in fall and spring. Water the tree when its soil is dry.

If you find any hints of disease or pest, oozing cankers, fuzzy fungus, or dead leaves, contact a Syracuse arborist check it out. They’ll tell you if the problem can be treated or if you need to remove the tree to protect the grass and other trees and shrubs in your outdoor space.​

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