Maple tree had buds but never leafed - is it dead

[njs138]

I have a rather large maple tree that I have never had trouble with until this year. It budded but never had a single leaf come out. Now it looks dead and branches are breaking off easier than I would hope. Any ideas on how to tell what is wrong? We also noticed that there is an old wound in the upper branches that may have been a spot for something to infect the tree. HELP!!!

[bangstrom]

Gently scrape the bark and see if it is green underneath. Start at the extremities and work towards the main trunk. No green means it is dead.

[njs138]

There is some very faint green. Should I give it a year to see if it comes back or once that green starts to fade is it definitely dead?

[shadylane]

Maples,that I have delt with I find in discovery die from with in. You may have only a couple of inches of solid material on the outside and the inside totally rotted. I have noticed black ants being a companion along with this. Not saying they are the creator of the problem, also weaping can be seen on the outside. You mentioned a wound, and that also is a sign that it's in trouble. 'Acer species'-Maples have problems with verticillium wilt.