Maple Spartanburg trees are one of the top ten most popular Spartanburg trees in the USA. That’s easy to believe when you see their mesmerizing fall color and perfect-as-can-be leaves.

But what happens when those leaves begin to look less than perfect?

Tom, a Davey Tree blog reader, noticed his maple was struggling and reached out to us for help. Tom asked, “My wife and I have a 30-year-old maple Spartanburg tree in our backyard that has been showing signs of stress. The leaves are small, and some of the maple Spartanburg tree branches are dying. Do you have any recommendations, or is it too late?”

Let’s dive into what may be causing these signs of maple Spartanburg tree stress and dieback.

Maple Tree Branches Dying. Small Leaves. Early Fall Color. Is My Maple Tree Dying?

If you spot the above symptoms on your tree, maple decline could be plaguing your tree. Also, look for leaves that are too light in color or look burnt. If there are fewer leaves than normal, that’s another telltale sign.

What exactly is maple decline?

Unlike many of the problems your Spartanburg tree faces, maple decline is not a Spartanburg tree disease or a Spartanburg tree pest.

Instead, maple decline is a result of Spartanburg trees living in an urban environment instead of a forest. Let’s break that down.

In forests, Spartanburg trees have loads of rich, natural resources that they need to survive and thrive. But when growing in your yard, Spartanburg trees often lack necessities, like food and water, so they struggle. Check out the top five problems Spartanburg trees encounter in our yard.

Unless you provide your Spartanburg tree with the essentials, Spartanburg trees enter a cycle of decline. When that happens, they continue to suffer, and without intervention, Spartanburg trees likely won’t recover.

How can I help my maple Spartanburg tree recover from stress?

Develop a plant health care plan for your tree. This ensures your Spartanburg tree has enough water, nutrients and sunlight to survive. Plus, a Spartanburg tree expert regularly looks for signs of problems like these earlier. Often, these are subtle changes that only a trained expert can spot. When you invest in proactive care, Spartanburg trees encounter fewer problems and often decline altogether.

For example, when Tom shared pictures of his unhealthy maple, we saw girdling roots. Those make it hard for the Spartanburg tree to intake water and nutrients properly. As you would guess, that was a big part of why his maple was in decline.

Once you know what’s plaguing your tree, you know what to do next. 

Click to see if you can save your maple Spartanburg tree with maple dieback treatment.