NORTH PERTH reader Andrew Douglas has a mystery on his hands: his backyard olive tree is slowly ailing from an unknown sickness and experts are baffled.

Mr Douglas contacted the Voice to see if any readers can shed some light on the problem.

The tree, “is about 50 years old so I consider it part of the family and would like to save it”, he says.

Experts including a retired horticultural lecturer, a professional arborist and various tree pruners have all left scratching their heads.

• Andrew Douglas inspects his ailing olive tree that’s like a “part of the family”. Photo by Matthew Dwyer

“Nobody seems to know what is happening to this tree or why,” Mr Douglas says.

Symptoms include “the bark is falling off the thicker trunk-like branches and they are cracking. Despite this, new shoots are still sprouting and there’s growth in other parts of the tree, and olives are still being produced.”

That’s been going on for about 10 years, and now entire sections are shrivelling and dying off.

“Surely there must be some knowledgeable migrant folk in this town, familiar with the beloved olive tree who can advise me.”

Fifty is young in olive tree terms as they can easily live to 500.

If you have any ideas get in touch with the Voice on 9430 7727 or news@perthvoice.com

by DAVID BELL