What kind of tree is this and is it infested?

[kaylie]

We have a tree with a forked trunk in our backyard. It also had holes in it and when I get close to it I can see lots of earwigs coming and going. There is a weeping willow approx 15 feet away from it. Is there something wrong with it that could spread to the willow? This tree is relatively small, but if something happened to the willow it would be crazy expensive to take down.



Cracks in trunk:


Holes:


Leaf:


Thoughts?

[treedimensional]

This looks like a very typical purpleleaf plum at the end of it's life to me. They are buggy and short-lived.
It isn't dangerous because it doesn't get big enough to pose a real threat. This one has matured, and is in decline.
It's a very cheap and common tree that will always be very popular with homeowners because of it's lovely color.
Prune out all the dead wood, consider pesticides next year (too late in the season for most), or just plant something new.

Willows are also buggy, and there are shared pest species between them. Try to manage the willow, because as you said, it's large and removal will have a serious impact on your landscape. You can find a Certified Arborist here: www.isa-arbor.com/faca/findArborist.aspx

[treedimensional]

I probably didn't answer all your questions.
The holes are caused by borer larvae exiting the tree when they become adults and flyoff. The earwigs are living under the cracks in the loose bark, and the colony is housed where the two trunks converge and the wood has decayed. The bark inclusion holds moisture and makes the ideal place for the queen to lay eggs. But they didn't kill the tree, they're just opportunists.

[kaylie]

Thanks a lot! There are several dead branches, so I figured something was up with it. I don't really like where they placed the tree, so we'll probably just take care of what we can and let it die off. I'll definitely look into getting an arborist for the willow.