It was suggested "Exact diagnosis can be made by taking a sample to your local extension office but if it is Phytophthora (or another root invading fungus), there is little you can do now." If such a sample is brought to the Extension Service office, please call ahead so that the Master Gardeners have time to locate information as to how to sample the soil & the affected root tips. Also know that a fee is charged, the precise amount depending upon the test to be done -- fees for the OSU Plant Disease Clinic begin at $40.00. Beyond that, I doubt this will be an easy diagnosis. I'd consider multiple factors potentially contributing to the problem: 1. Because OP said s/he "paid quite a bit of money" I suspect it is a sizable specimen. If so, post-plant irrigation is a critical factor in survival. All transplants should go into evenly moist soil, then the rootball should be supplied with more water than the surrounding area during the following months. Failures of recent transplants typically are due to water -- either too much or too little. 2. The sudden very cold weather in December, without snow cover, damaged & even killed many plants hereabouts, including those which survived 10 years or more. 3. The tree is a recent transplant. As such it is more likely to be damaged by cold than an established tree of the same kind. 4. Dormant roots are less susceptible to water damage than are actively growing roots. 5. In general -- and yes, exceptions exist -- root rot results in entire tree failure. 6. It's nigh to impossible to diagnose root rot by looking at dead branches and/or browning leaves. 7. And perhaps most critical, multiple nearby specimen maples are in potential jeopardy if the problem is indeed soil-borne, such as Phytophthora root rot or verticillium wilt. So, I suggest pinkswine consider having a certified arborist or two come for an on-site evaluation. To locate a certified arborist, look in the Yellow Pages under the heading of Trees or something similar. Ads for companies with a certified aroborist will either have a statement or small rectangular logo stating such.

Kicked off a baby? Are you sure your plant isn't grafted and the (I'm assuming it's a) basal sprout isn't from the root stock? Obviously, trees in nature branch just fine w/o our help, so if you wait, the tree will develop secondary branching on its own. You CAN force it to branch by removing the terminal bud on the leader (or cutting back harder), which contains the apical meristem. This removes the source of the growth regulator/hormone (auxin) that suppresses secondary growth. IF you do that, you need to take steps to train one of the branches that emerge to the vertical as the new leader, or risk changing the trunk line from straight to something with a crook/bend/curves in it. Al

The bark is not dead yet, even though I know the pictures make them look that way. It's more like the fungal growth is just resting on top of the healthy plant tissue, and hasn't seriously struck the plant in earnest yet. When I popped off a few of the bumps (whether down low or near the ends) there was always young, green plant tissue underneath like what you get if you scrape off the topmost layer of bark. I'm sure you're right that if the fungus is allowed to spread unchecked it will kill the tree though, and I would really prefer to try saving the tree first if you have any treatment suggestions.

It looks like it was planted too deeply. Have you removed mulch away from the base already? Do you see anything like a root flare or signs of surface roots? Certainly mulch piled up against the trunk can cause bark to split and peel away as well as more severe problems. You always want a clear span of several inches around the trunk before mulch starts.