Question
Our 20 year old ligustrum is dying.  It has 6" to 8" vertical cracks on the bark of the trunk and the larger limbs.  They are narrow cracks that keep that appear to go through the bark into the trunk.  One large limb died.  Several others are affected.  

At the base of the trunk near the ground, there is a large area that is black.  It's about a foot in diameter.  The black does not rub off.

Do you have any suggestions?  Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Linda, You do not say where you live, but I have a feeling it is from freeze damage.  A hard freeze can make the bark almost explode and crack.  The black could be sooting mold.  You could spray with Atomic Grow to see if you can get life back into the tree and it will get rid of the sooty mold.  Atomic Grow is organic.  kathy