Is this Japanese maple dying?

(Question)

I planted this Japanese maple last year and after winter the top portion is not budding and there are no leaves. is this tree dyeing or can i rescue it by chopping off the top part?

(Answer)

Hello – I’m sorry to hear your Japanese maple has suffered some winter damage. Japanese maples leaf out early in the spring and are therefore susceptible to crown dieback as a result of late spring frosts. Younger trees such as yours are even more susceptible to this issue.  We have had similar questions in the past so I’m going to refer you to an earlier response on our site on recovering from frost damage on a Japanese maple.  Click on the following link access this information.

My Japanese Maple tree

Good luck!

Prepared by: Patty McKnight, pattymcknight@sympaticp.ca, August 4, 2021