Q.: My Japanese maple is about 20 years old now. The trunk is divided and I have thought of securing the two trunks together with something because of the extra weight of snow and ice in the winter.

Q: We have a beautiful Autumn Blaze maple tree with a split trunk bark. We’re wondering if it’s dying and if there is anything to be done to save it. We’d sure appreciate any advice. — Cliff and Nancy ...

Continued growth pushes bark outward, causing outer layers to crack. On some trees, the dead layers peel and drop off. Shedding bark is characteristic of sycamore, redbud, silver maple, shagbark ...

Once leaves drop from trees, splitting, peeling, bleached or oozing bark may become more noticeable. The cause can range from normal bark development to environmental causes or disease. If tree bark ...