reticulata 'Willamette'): A more narrow, upright form (25 feet high by 15 feet wide). I see no physical damage or pests. Check several branches to make sure it is alive since you could just have one dead branch. One of the main reasons why lilacs start to die back is that they are not pruned enough. Prune the Japanese lilac tree immediately after flowering. That you saw some growth this spring attests to this. Ask an Expert is made up of groups and individual experts. What Will Kill a Lilac Tree?. Patience is probably the best course. As with other lilacs, a few pests can cause problems in Japanese tree lilacs. Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. The rest of the tree leafed out okay and has been producing wonderful blossoms. The first summer about half of it's branches appeared dead. Remove the infected areas of the tree and destroy them immediately. Cut out infected stems and destroy them. I have a Japanese Lilac Tree that was fine 2 weeks ago now there is 2 dead branches and 1 that is starting to die. This disease comes on during the rainy season. It is a compact tree hardy to Zone 3 and usually flowers in June. If you see green beneath the surface, there is a good chance the lilac bush is very much alive. If you are using a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen, stop. As you cut, look for signs of green under the bark and look for little shoots emerging from the soil. The Japanese tree lilac is less bothered by insects than other lilac plants. This year that section is completely dead. When dead branches are left on the tree, they leech nutrients and water from the rest of the tree. the tree was here when we bought the property. This last spring it showed promising signs of life, good buds, some flowers, but still the leaves were a little smaller and there were fewer flowers than the second one we have in our backyard.Now as the weather has gotten hot, about half of the leaves appear to be wilting. Japanese lilac branches don’t bloom until they are three years of age, so use caution when cutting old wood. Bacterial blight is a problem for the Japanese tree lilac and other white-flowered lilac bushes. However, left untreated, they can attract insects … The twisted form keeps the wood from packing together too closely and allows air to flow through the fire. Mid June we decided to cut it down because there were no leaves. Smell Lilac wood also carries a slight scent similar to the lilac flowers. Golden Eclipse Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata ssp. To end this cycle, you need to prune any dead branches off the lilac bush. Last year I noticed a section of the tree where the leaves started falling off mid summer. Syringa reticulata is … The larvae tunnel into the branches. We stopped cutting, but four branches about 1-1 1/2″ thick were cut off. Borer larvae tunnel into the branches, causing wilting and broken branches. Your IP: 193.124.178.28 The branches are dry and brittle. • It was gorgeous the first two years. They said it appears that the tree is choking itself … If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. However, there are a few things you can do to make sure it is alive. The most recent branch showing symptoms is in the upper 3rd of the canopy. The previous owner mentioned it would need to be replaced, but I was stubborn and wanted to keep it.The first summer about half of it's branches appeared dead. Symptoms of this disease include black leaf spots, black stripes on shoots and new leaves turning completely black, dying very quickly. The wilting you are now experiencing is due to the hot weather. Hello,We moved into a home in the south metro area two years ago and inherited a mature (10 year old) Japanese Lilac tree. Come spring, I thought my Japanese Tree Lilac had died. They are not isolated and are random, with the first near the base of the canopy one one side, then another on the other side. the tree was here when we bought the property. However, about 1/3 of the tree is dead. However, infestations can occur, especially when the tree is not planted in full sun. Very badly infested branches may break off. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. are woody plants in the olive family, named for their blueish purple to white flowers. I trimmed many of them off hoping it would recover. Lilac borer: the larvae of Podosesia syringae tunnel in the branches, feeding on the phloem and outer sapwood, causing the tree to wilt. Cut or break them into the right size for the fireplace and allow them to dry until there is no green under the bark. Japanese lilac trees with bark or trunk splits are not in danger of dying because of the damage. However, when the pruner handed me a branch, I saw tiny leaf buds on it. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. Leaves develop gold edges as the season progresses. By using the proper pruning techniques , you can help encourage the shape, vigorous growth, flowering, and will make your Japanese lilac tree more resistant to pest and diseases. I know I need to … Perform maintenance pruning on Japanese lilac tree as you would on any tree or shrub. If you have the patience, you can wait a few weeks in … Lilac borer is one of them. This is a very large shrub or small tree, reaching a height of about 20 to 30 feet with a 15-foot-spread. Cut off the infested part of the tree as soon as you notice the problem and destroy the cut branches. I think that you are on the right track with what you did with your pruning.