Bad bark and strange growth off one tree branch

[Big Rich]

I bought a piece of property about ten and one half years ago and there was a very small maple tree on it. I landscaped and put a border around it and some landscape stone.

A few years ago we had a drought and I didn’t notice until the following year that the bark was badly damaged from my oversight and neglect. Yet, the tree grows a little and has leaves each year.

This year a new problem arose and it baffles me. It is a maple tree and of course has pointed maple leaf shaped leaves. The other day I was looking for the nest of some fledgling birds that I saw and noticed a growth on a branch of the maple tree about ten feet off the ground and definitely growing out of one of the maple tree’s branches and it is a somewhat circular bunch of little branches with oval shaped leaves.

See attached pictures…
So, I have three questions.
1. What is the strange growth coming out of the maple tree’s branch?
2. What should I do with the growth?
3. Is there any hope to save the bark on this tree and if so, how?

 

[Seachaser]

I’d get rid of that mistletoe.
Cut it out even with the bark.

 

[Big Rich]

I’d get rid of that mistletoe.
Cut it out even with the bark.

OK, will do.
Any idea why mistletoe grew there? Is this a side effect of the damaged bark or just a random thing?

Either way, thank you!

 

[Seachaser]

OK, will do.
Any idea why mistletoe grew there? Is this a side effect of the damaged bark or just a random thing?

Either way, thank you!

Bird landed there. Seed in poop. Common around here. Sometimes 50-100 clusters per tree.