This stately catalpa tree in Chicago, very near Lake Michigan ( https://home.comcast.net/~dfourer/misc/j-cat1.jpg ) was leafy and green last year. This year the leaves are small and the tree is nearly naked. Do you know what's wrong? Will the tree survive? None of the branches are near the ground, so I would need a tall ladder to get a leaf or a branch. You can see that the leaves are bright green. trunk 18 inches. Thank you.

Hi David

There are a couple of possibilities here. Has there been any construction or work done at the base of the tree or over the root system in the last 3-5 years (digging, laying of new sidewalk, etc.)? Anything that might disturb the root system could lead to this type of damage (although it usually is progressive, looking worse from year to year rather than a dramatic change from one year to another).

Another possibility is a vascular disease called Verticillium wilt. We have seen a few cases of this on catalpa in the last year or two. Although the tree might not die right away, this disease is fatal. The only way to verify this disease is present is to send a sample to a lab for testing. U of I does have a Plant Clinic on campus that does this. Go to http://plantclinic.cropsci.illinois.edu/index.html for more information.