The maple trees on my property are experiencing some premature darkening and drop from the tree. The dark portions of the leaves appear to be wilted. Do you think this is related to the May rainfall totals? I would say that less than 10% of the leaves on the trees are experiencing this. Thank you, Steve

Hi Steve:

As you mentioned, the wilting "could be" associated with the heavy precipitation we've experienced here in Illinois this spring and early summer -- possibly anthracnose.

https://web.extension.illinois.edu/focus/index.cfm?problem=anthracnose-diseases

OR...this wilting could simply be the result of the Mother's Day freeze we experienced !!! Therefore, here are your best options as this point in time:

1. Wait 3-4 weeks to see if the symptoms subside. 2. Take high-resolution photos of the affected foliage and submit the photos to you your local UI Extension Office. 3. Prune a small twig with some affected foliage from your maple tree and take it to your local UI Extension Office for examination.

Best of luck!