Can you say what specifically you think is wrong with it? Do you meant the grey patches on the bark? If so that is Lichen and harmless.

looks like prunus serotina ....though lacking fruit which should be ripening .... carp fruit.. lol ..

have you had the 8 weeks of drought SE MI has had .... the grass sure looks like it ...

any clue how bad winter was in this yard???

it is probably stressed ... but its not hungry.. fert is never the answer for a tree that size ...

i wouldnt worry about it ... see what happens next year .. thats dealing with trees in tree time ...

maybe it has to go.. for lack of pleasing you.. so be it.. replant a higher quality tree if the time comes ...

ken

Carp fruit = fish food?

Agree it's Prunus...either Pin (P. pensylvanica) or Black Cherry (P. serotina). Don't think it's chokecherry which is usually a smaller tree/shrub with rounder leaves.

Lots of problems (pests & diseases) with Prunus so the sparse foliage isn't surprising and probably isn't going to get better.

The lichens on the bark are harmless....just using the branches as a platform to get more sunlight.

Thank you all for your help. There are some full branches without leaves... I would call it less than sparse. The winter was quite mild. It has been a very dry summer. I guess the plan will be just let it be until at least next summer and see if it makes a recovery at all.

Thanks again

I think this is black cherry, (prunus serotina) with nothing wrong with it.

Prunus in genera are prone to lots of diseases. However...was there any nearby construction recently? Could you photograph the base? Any time a tree has trouble shortly after someone moves in I think about the possibility of root disturbance or over-mulching.

The fruits of prunus serotina are a very valuable food source for birds and the trees are a bit tougher then most of the genus.

If you had a drought you could try watering it.

More and more lawn herbicides are being implicated in tree problems. I only mention this because it has not been brought into the discussion yet. Not saying that'[s the case here, but a brief history of what all has gone on in the immediate area is always helpful.

Note too that heroic efforts to "save" members of the cherry group are bound to fail. Just not long-lived plants, with perhaps Prunus serotina-the afore-mentioned black cherry having at least a bit more longevity. But cherries in general are prone to a multitude of insect and pathogen issues. In nature, they mostly occur as thickets composed of numerous stems, not single-stemmed trees.