google MULCH VOLCANO ... act accordingly ...

if you cant see the root flare... find out how deep it is ...

where are you?

total WAG .... recent transplant [within the last 3 years for a tree that size] .. improper watering after transplant .. complicated by winter ...

just get up there and cut back to a live branch.. a tree saw would make it easier... as compared to a dry lumber saw .. and cut most off first.. to get rid of hanging weight .. and then do the precision cut ... leave no stubs ...

frankly ... it looks pretty darn fat and happy ... it just needs a little maintenance pruning ... and that mulch pulled back ...

it would be nice to know what it it.. a pic of a leaf will get you that ID ...

ken

The top branches have died out. Just prune them out. And consider whether the tree is planted/mulched properly as ken said. In general it might be happier with a wider mulch ring, but then I've seen trees with less.

Thanks guys. I pruned the dead branches and removed most of the mulch. Also gave it a good drink of water. We had an awfully cold winter but it's about 92 degrees here today!

Did you prune correctly? Any chance of some good close-up pictures of the results (showing area of cuts)?

Did you find the rootflare (where roots start emerging from the trunk)? Was it at or above ground level?