Trees do not get infections, but moisture and insects can collect under the bark can, to the detriment of the tree. You first need to determine how wide the crack is.

Some tree species have thin bark when they are young. Maples, especially Norway maples, are very prone to this cracking, and I have seen oak, ash and other forest trees with the same problem.

Question: What would cause the bark to peel away from the base of my maple tree? Other trees in the area are healthy with no peeling bark.

But it is not only scorching summer heat that causes thin-barked trees to crack. Bark cracks are due to the sensitivity of the crown area to sudden changes in growing conditions.

Sapsuckers peck shallow holes in the bark of the trunk or major branches of trees. The holes tap into the part of the tree's circulatory system that is flowing with sugary sap in the spring. Photo ...

Before spring arrives, take the time to examine your trees’ bark and branches for signs of damage, says Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. “Problems ...

Symptoms The main symptom is the appearance of the dark sap oozing on the trunk exterior which happens when gasses produced by growth of the bacteria and yeast cause the internal pressure of the sap ...

Mulch to keep the soil temperature consistent. Mechanical injury: When the bark of a plant is wounded, it will almost always ooze sap. This is very noticeable on birch and maple.

Answer: Yes. However, it looks like there is a significant crack developing in the trunk that will soon cause the tree to split. The seepage is from decay within that cracked area.