What's the cause of an 80 years old cherry tree dying?

Question

We have a large cherry tree that’s about 80 years old in our backyard. About 5 years ago, there was a storm and a large branch of the cherry tree is ripped apart, leaving a large hole in the tree. When I went to examine the hole, I notice how there are bits of wood chip inside the cherry tree, as if some insects where munching on the wood. After that storm, the cherry tree didn’t bloom for 3 full years. During that time, some branches slowly die off. On the fourth year, the tree finally blossom again up until now like usual.

However, I’m quite worry about the insects that are invading the tree and those dead branches. When I ask my mother, she told me that that’s how fruit trees are. When they get old, the branches slowly die off until the entire tree is dead. Personally, I don’t really believe her since I’ve never heard of such thing and she’s no tree expert, but I’m not sure now.

So can anyone tell me if the branches were just dying because of that damage in the storm, or it’s just like my mother said that the tree is coming to age and dying off?

P.S. Please don’t give me an answer like, “chop off the tree and plant a new one.” That’s just cruel and that’s exactly what my mother said.

Answer 1

We own an old family estate with a number of trees that are between 80-100 years old. What your Mama said is absolutely true ~ as trees age, it's becomes more difficult for them to get the sap out to the branches and so those branch tips start to die off. Every year, as you've noticed, more of the tree dies off. This is a typical progression, and eventually what happen, is you'll be left with a trunk with maybe a few sparse branches with leaves. This explanation came to me from our local department of Urban Forestry who came out to examine a silver maple tree on our property that looked to be dying.

When trees start to die, they become more susceptible to insects boring inside the wood and birds (such as wood peckers and flickers) drilling inside the wood to get at the bugs. They are also more prone to disease and breaking off in wind storms. These are all signs that the tree is dying.

Fruit trees on average live about 40-50 years so yours has had a very long life. If you have a sentimental attachment to the tree ~ and yes, I can understand because we have trees that were planted by our great grand parents, I keep an eye out for "babies" growing up in the yard and replace the old tree with one of the babies. I've done this with Grandma's old RedBud tree, honeysuckle tree, and one of her peach trees with excellent success.

Answer 2

I can't say exactly what is happening to your tree. I just wanted to mention that it is not cruel to have the tree cut down if it is reaching the end of its life. As Forrest Gump's Mama always said. "Dying is a part of living".

If the main part of the cherry tree is still in good condition, you can have someone from a lumber company cut the tree down and they will pay you good money for it. Then some carpenter can use it to built a couple pieces of beautiful cherry furniture that can be used for another hundred years.

Answer 3

The tree is trying to tell you something. Maybe you should have it taken out before the bugs invades other trees or even your house. Keep a piece if the trunk as a momento. you can use it as a table on you porch or something.

Answer 4

It sounds like your tree has got Cherry Stem Borer.Now Borer is common in all types of trees,but old trees especially,as they dry up inside the trunk.You can get a solution from a garden center,like a paste which you squirt in the holes.But I would say you won't save the tree entirely,it is very old.And had a good life.