Hi heatherram, Is the top part of the trunk a much darker brown than the rest of the trunk? If so, that part of the tree is dead, hack it off. You can always try to nurse the bottom part along. I've thrown out plants that appeared dead from insect infestations that sprouted back after months of neglect, so you never know. Just be sure to keep it from drying out completely..... Good luck!

Did you check for any life anywhere in the bark up and down the tree? You can use your fingernail and check for any green, but actually with Japanese maple you can see if the tree is alive as it goes from green to brownish-red where it is dead. If it has any life, you might be able to save it but may need to cut it back quite a bit and protect from direct sun. We had two in a pot on the deck that burned and leafed out again when moved to our garage to recooperate. Good luck, let us know what you find out.

Not sure there is a lot you can do for it at this point. JM's are prone to a variety of soil pathogens that can severely damage or even kill the tree. This one looks like it might be dying a slow death :-(( What I would suggest is getting rid of all the rocks - they are not helping and could be hurting the tree. And carefully prune out all the dead wood you see. It will be a pale color, often gray, compared to the dark color of healthy tissue. Dead wood tends to harbor insects and allows an inroad for other disease issues. Then just keep the tree adequately watered - not too much, not too little. Just don't allow the soil to dry completely. And no fertilizer!! If the tree does not respond or seems to get worse, then it's time to contemplate removal. But I would be cautious about replanting with another JM until you can confirm what caused the problem (and that may involve a path lab analysis), as some of these soil pathogens will infect any other susceptible species planted that space. Going forward, you might want to post any other questions you have about Japanese maples on the Maples forum. This one is pretty much inactive and most JM enthusiasts post there.

Thanks Gardengal! I just got similar feedback from the University of Maryland extension folks. They had a plant pathologist look at the photos. Said the black spots and discoloration were just stress cankers on the branches. They are caused by minor damage to the bark that enables a secondary pathogen to get into that area of the tree. No fungicide treatment was recommended. Advised to wait until its warmer when the buds open up and develop, then to prune out any dead stems.