The silver maple in the back yard which could be 25 years old seems to be having its bark splitting. A high branch is almost completely dry. Does this tree need some specialist attention to recover. Are there other options for us non experts to save the tree.

Thanks, Sudhakar.S

HI Sudhakar, Trees can have splitting bark for a variety of reasons. often it is an old wound that is now becoming obvious because the outer bark can no longer expand as the tree grows. Trees can live with narrow vertical cracks so it does not neccessarily mean the tree is on its way out. I might be able to tell more from pictures. If a high branch is dead I would suggest contacting a certified arborist to have the branch removed and they can evaluate the tree's health at that time. you can use this website to find an arborist near you. http://www.isa-arbor.com/findarborist/findarborist.aspx sandy