Mindy, mine did that all the time and never seemed to have problems. All the trees along the driveway are now gone. Might have been rot. Looked them up and it is also possible they just hit the end of their lifespan. If the one I moved a few years ago from the driveway to the street croaks in the next year or two, I might lean toward lifespan as the cause. In any event, the area is now open for experimentation. Moved a Tea Olive in place of the one closest to the house; pondering what to put in the middle. It will all be fine--gardens are always works in progress, aren't they?