They are fine. It is just Lichen and quite normal.

I can't tell exactly what's going on in some of those pictures. I see no signs of lichen in pic 2 and 3. Maybe we could start out by Swaybaby telling us what he/she sees that is of concern (along with a good description), and we could go from there.

For my curiosity, what's that in the middle of tree three? I thought it was a cat at first, but upon closer look, maybe just a rag? And, why is there are stub left on that tree with a flowerpot covering it? That's not a good idea.

Sorry about any confusion, pic 1 and 4 are the same tree, and pic 2 and 3 is the other tree. I don't know why it put them out of sequence like that.

On the one tree I was just worried that the mossy type stuff might be a fungus, or something spreading, since I noticed it on quite a few trees. On the other tree, I noticed the bark seeming to peel off and wasn't sure if that was normal. (I hope like I don't sound like a total dunce, asking such a dumb question!) ;P

I don't know much about trees at all. Grew up in the city, and moved to a rural area. We had no idea what we were getting into! LOL. It's all trial and error. :)

@Brandon, Yes it's just a rag and a jar. My toddler was running around my feet, bringing me random things while I was trying to do yard work. Things generally just get put up high out of his reach, and not always where they're supposed to go! LOL

The images appear to be of a Lacebark Elm cultivar.

Swaybaby,

Sorry you haven't gotten more response. I think it's because many of us are not sure exactly what we're seeing in the pictures. The pictures are better than some, but certainly not like being there in person.

As IpmMan mentioned, the stuff on the bark in picture one is lichen, which is harmless to your tree. Picture four is blurry, but since you said it was the same tree as in picture one, I think we're probably just looking at more lichen there too.

If it's just the loose bark that we see in pictures two and three that is of concern, it looks normal to me. More info from you is needed if a) there's been a sudden change in the amount of bark shedding, b) you're seeing something else that's not normal, c) you have further questions about these trees. I can't tell what kind of tree it is, with any certainty, with the pictures provided. If there is more questions about this tree, better pictures will probably be needed.

If that flowerpot is over the top of a stub, left on the tree when a branch was removed, the stub needs to be properly removed just beyond the branch bark ridge / branch collar.

BTW, I've seen dumb questions on here before, but yours is not one of them. If people didn't ask questions on here, this forum would be far less interesting. Please feel free to ask questions so we'll have something to talk about. (-:

Thanks for the responses! :) OK, so I took a few more pictures, hopefully better (I also labeled them). I took out the pics of the tree with lichen, it's normal and that makes me happy, thanks letting me know :)

I took better pictures of the tree that had the jar on it (jar is gone). Basically I just want to make sure this bark is normal as well, and it'd be great to know what kind of tree it might be, if you guys can tell?

http://s54.photobucket.com/albums/g92/sway_559/Trees/

I did add a picture of a flowering tree I have because it seems to have a few small holes, like something is burrowing in? And it's oozing sap in spots? Also, if anyone knows what kind of tree it is? This one smells good, (There's another one similar to this but that one smells AWFUL!!, and of course the stinky one is RIGHT next to my window! LOL).

Anyways, Hopefully these pics will help. Thank you guys so much for taking the time to look through this stuff! :)

http://s54.photobucket.com/albums/g92/sway_559/Trees/

IMHO, and I defer to others, but the first tree looks fine from what you show in the pictures. The bark is exfoliating, and it looks normal for that tree. The second tree however, looks as though it may have a canker. My initial guess is that it will have to be removed.

Arktrees

The pix of the second tree are marginally useful, looks like some sort of Prunus from here, with canker or maybe gummosis or both. Best to remove.

Dan

I was hoping that someone would Id these trees before I chimed in again. Even though I can not Id. the tree with the towle in it I still say it looks healthy. The one tree that is suspect is the last one by the house. I agree with Dan that it looks like a Prunus Sp. In that case it could very easily have Borers if it has holes in it. The black stuff on the trunk could be harmless Honey Dew growing on the sap from the Borer damage, or it could be Black Knot fungus. Black Knot usually shows up first on the branches. Borers can be controlled, but Black Knot is a lost cause.
Anyway this tree is really too close to the house and probably not in good enough condition to be worth spending time and money on.

Here is a link that might be useful: Here info on Black Knot, case it turns out to be a Prunus.

hey baby .. lol ...

in PBucket ... point at the pic.. copy/paste the HTML.. right here where you type.. and the pic will show up when you hit preview ...

or use the box below where you type.. and make us a link to get to your PB acct ...

anyway ... we really need to ID each tree specifically ... we heed a pic of the trunk/bark.. and a leaf .. and flower if possible ...

exfoliating is one thing .. but to my eye.. it looks like some child spent a lot of time peeling all the bark off that one tree ... is that a possibility???

as for the prunus .. cherry or plum ... gumosis fer sure ... that itself might kill the tree in a DECADE OR TWO ... it is not something to focus on or worry about regarding you or the kids ..

i can not flip back to your pix.. since i closed that window ... we should determine if they are structurally sound otherwise ...

with 8 acres available .. IMHO.. you need to plant a few replacement trees .. so the in 5 years.. when these need to go ... then you have replacements available ... for sure on the prunus ... you are not going to heal that..

the structure of the other tree is not that great.. but it might only live another 50 years.. lol.. so i am not too worried about that one ...

neither tree.. IMHO.. is worth investing money in .. plant some heritage trees.. and watch them grow with your children.. rather than invest significant money in lost causes ...

i prefer oaks ... but i dont live in z9 ... and will defer to anyone who has knowledge or experience way down there ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: prunus serrotina comes to mind