Q. On my two-year-old maple tree, at about hip level on the trunk, all the bark is gone all the way down the tree. – S.S., Springfield Answered by Mark Bernskoetter, Master Gardener ...

The tree roots come in contact with them, and they enter the plant, clogging up the water uptake system. A circular, dark ring is a sign that is frequently seen when a tree has been infected.

Two years ago we planted two types of red maple, and they had done well. Now, on one tree, the bark is falling off the trunk but the other tree doesn't have this irregularity.