Japanese Maple Tree

Question

I have a 15-yr-old Japanese maple, whose bark is cracking and falling off at the base (from the ground to about 3ft up) to where the branches start to spread. The leaves all look fine and color is good. Should we worry about this? It is in a well ventilated area – no other trees or buildings are near it.

Answer 1

Some varieties of maple do have "peeling" barks and are grown for this feature. It is a feature that often takes years to develop, so it is possible this is the case with yours. As long as it looks healthy and you do not see any signs of fungus or mold (it will look like a powdery substance), you should not have to worry about the tree.