Age and drought killing off silver maples

QUESTION: The city has many maple trees planted in the downtown area that look really sad. The edges of their leaves are brown and curl inward. Some trees’ leaves are completely wilted. Is it due to a disease? The heat? What?
- Eve Tilley
ANSWER: “It could be a couple of things with the silver maples, but generally those in the city have reached their life span and they’re declining,” according to city forester Becky Lamphear. In addition, she also said, silver maples have been affected by drought. “The root system will just die off, and when we get more periods of water more leaves will come out and it’s difficult for the roots to support the canopy. We mark trees for removal, and I’ve had to mark a lot of silver maples.”