Japanese elm leafed out fine this spring then suddenly died

Question

My son’s Japanese elm leafed out fine this spring then suddenly died. This tree is in Sammamish, Wa. He says all was good this spring, then leaves dried up and the entire tree is now dead. No signs of insects, fungus, scale, etc. He also stated a neighbor had the same happened to his tree. Do you folks have any insight ? Thanks Jandhw

Answer 1

Since there was two trees close by, this would indicate a disease. I would suspect a root rot of some kind. Verticillium Wilt or Cotton Root Rot are both possible, but there are several root rots it could be. I would highly recommend that you take a sample of the soil and roots of the tree to your local extension service to have them tested to be sure what it is. Many of these disease can spread rapidly through the soil and kill other plants in your yard if not addressed.