Japanese Flowering Cherry

[Jemisa]

We've only been here 4 years but in the garden there is (was) the most gorgeous spring flowering cherry tree (non fruiting), pure white thick blossom with a hint of pink. Our neighbour said its been there nearly 20 years.
This year it is dead, no leaves no blossom, we pulled a twig from it and broke it & its just dry & dusty, we also notice on the trunk it has several knotty growths. IS there anything we can do or do we conclude its dead but what has happened to it, why has it just died?

Anyone know about these things out there? Thanks

Jem

[woofgang]

Cherry tress don't last as long as many other trees do, sometimes it's just old age.....

[FredPuli43]

They are fairly short-lived but I suggest what my local garden centre said about my olive tree; olives can live over a thousand years, this one is only thirty; which is to give it a feed and wait another year. They said that trees do come back from apparent death, so you never know. Certainly, a eucalypt here looked dead but, amazingly, slowly but steadily has come back to life over ensuing years.

[Jemisa]

Thankyou Fred your answer was heartening, my H is all for chopping it down but like you said I was all for giving it another year to see if it rallies.
So we'll see Fred, take a look on here in 2014 I may have news & thanks again.

jem

[atalanta]

Look at the bark very carefully. Are there any little reddish-pink lumps - a bit like little drops of bright nail-varnish ? If so, it could be coral-spot, which does kill trees like cherry, and is very dangerous to other trees. If you see these little spots you must destroy the tree - consult the local council's trees/parks department.