Sick Plum Tree...HELP

[Ken K]

[align=left]I have a mature, red-leaf plum tree on my property.* It was there when I purchased the home.* The tree yeilded some light purple fruit a couple of years ago and a very limited amount of ripe, edible fruit.* No fruit at all for the past year.* There are many dead branches and what appears to be a green fungis all over the tree.* Even on the small branches.* Anyone have any advise.* I'd hate to loose the tree.* It's beautiful, adds privacy from a neighbor and it's a nice addition to an eclectic variety of trees and shrubbs and flowers that exists on the property.* At one time, a past owner spent alot of time planting flowering pears, grapes, fig trees, raspberrry bushes and many other beautiful trees and plantings.* I could some advise in caring for them.* Specifically, the aforementioned red-leaf plum.* HELP!!![/align]

[Newt]

Hi Ken,

I think the green fungus you see could be lichens.* Is this what you see?* If so it's harmless to the tree and feeds wildlife.* It doesn't grow where there is air pollution.
http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/assets/6016.jpg

You mention dead limbs and declining fruit production but no spots or discoloring of the leaves. With that I would suspect either a fungal problem in the root system or possibly some type of borer insect.* Take a look at these to see if anything sounds familiar.
http://plantpathology.tamu.edu/Texla...uit5.html#Plum
http://treegrowersdiary.com/purpleleafplum.html
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r611100211.html
http://fpath.cas.psu.edu/Fruit_facts.../blacknot.html
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r611100611.html

These three are about plum pox virus.
http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville...resources.html
http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/d...?RecordID=1307
http://www.plantpath.wisc.edu/fpath/plum-pox.htm

I will be leaving tonight and will be gone for a week without computer access.* If those sites aren't helpful and no one else comes along that can help, I would suggest you contact your local extension service.

Newt