Cudrania tricuspidata problem

My Che tree seems to be having an issue. Anyone else having this, or a similar problem, with this tree?

As you can see it appears as though there are holes forming in much of the bark. I havent noticed any insects particularly on this tree. I also havent noticed the local (small) woodpeckers paying this tree any attention. (They like a nearby silver maple)

Scott

That resembles the damage that I often see in black locust attacked by stem borers.
Quick search indicates that Maclura pomifera (Osage Orange) is routinely attacked by 4 different species of borers.
Cudrania has been reclassified as Maclura tricuspidata in recent years - and we’ve long known that it was related to, and graft-compatible (as yours is) with M.pomifera. As such, I wouldn’t be surprised if Che was susceptible to similar borer damage.

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I’ve since gotten out and taken a better look.

My thought is this is somehow a (delayed) graft (rejection) problem. I have looked quite closely (and while I wear reading glasses I can see quite well with them). I can’t find any holes. It just seems that the bark is peeling back and the graft (at the base to Osage Orange) looks like the growth above has dessicated. Upper branches scratch green well, while lower ones seem very pale and not as green.

I did a treatment for borers a few weeks ago and I was going to pain the trunk with slaked lime, but I stopped because I couldn’t find any holes at all.

I will keep updating this thread to let everyone know if the tree lives or dies. I will not be replacing it (with another Cudrania) because while I didn’t dislike the fruit, it took almost 10 years for it to fruit for me.

Scott

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about half of this tree has started pushing some leaves. So my reports of its demise were premature…

Scott

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