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There is a sort of lichen ( I guess) growing on our maple tree in the center of our deck. It’s over 40 years old. And it may not be getting enough water or the stain on the deck has hindered its growth.

I say that because of the same type of maple tree grows nearby and it didn’t loose as many leaves or look as scraggly as the one on the deck. I’ve got pics of the leaves and trunk. Tell me what you think about the lichen and the growth. Okay. Looks like it won’t let me add a picture. I guess I need to email them to you all

This system has a limit of 100 kb on the picture size, maybe that’s what happened.

I’ve seen this, where people leave a tree growing through the deck, and I always cringe at it. Not only do maple trees in particular have a lot of debris, both from the leaves and samaras or seed pods, they also need a lot of water, and the roots require air. This is why you always see maple roots emerge into the lawn as the tree ages.

Trees are not happy in this situation, and it’s never a good end for a tree, and usually they cause a lot of damage when the time comes to take them out. There is no way around it, but to cut it down. Unless you’re willing to take the deck down, this is the only solution to it.

The lichen is a normal and harmless growth. It won’t harm the tree, although it could be indicating that the tree is extremely ill.

Hope this helps you to make a difficult decision.
Jacki