The trees on your property offer shade and beauty, but diseased trees can pose a danger. If you aren’t a trained arborist, it can be challenging to determine what kind of disease is affecting your tree. Keep reading to learn about ten common tree diseases and the signs to help you know what you are facing on your property.
#1: Anthracnose
First of all, let’s take a look at one of the most common disease that plagues deciduous trees, including ash, oak, and sycamore trees. This disease results in dark lesions that are sunken in appearance on stems, leaves, flowers, and tree fruits.
#2: Apple Scab
Common on apple and crab apple trees, apple scab results from a fungus infecting fruit and leaves. Unfortunately, fruit from a tree with apple scab is unsuitable for eating. The spots on the leaves start as an olive-green shade and eventually turn brown and black. The fruit also turns brown and becomes deformed.
#3: Canker Diseases
Several different types of canker diseases can lead to sick trees. It happens when bacterial or fungal pathogens attack the sapwood or bark through a lesion or wound, leading to a blockage in the vascular system and low nutrient flow to the tree. As a result, the branches often die, or the entire tree can die.
#4: Cedar-Apple Rust
Furthermore, cedar-apple rust fungal disease requires both the cedar and apple or crab apple tree to develop. The fungal spores move from the cedar to the apple tree through the wind. Indicators of cedar-apple rust include bright yellowish-orange spots on the leaves and the fruit. Other signs include swollen fruit, stunted twigs, and fruit that drops prematurely.
#5: Diplodia Tip Blight
This particular blight disease is most common for conifers that are stressed. Signs include stunted new growth or growth that becomes yellow and brown.
#6: Dothistroma Needle Blight
When pine needles turn brownish at the tips, you may have a case of this fatal tree disease. And, trees that commonly suffer from this disease include Ponderosa pine and Austrian pine. Eventually, the entire needle becomes brown, dead, and falls off the tree.
#7: Fire Blight
If your tree branches have a fire-scorched appearance with black leaves, it’s likely the tree is suffering from fire blight. This type of blight sporadically infects the twigs, leading to dead leaves on different areas of the tree. Fire blight is common in environments that have warm and moist weather.
#8: Oak Wilt
Another disease, oak wilt specifically affects oak trees. It tends to be fatal for tree species in the red oak category. White oak trees tend to be less at risk. Oak wilt begins at the top of the tree, with leaves wilting and turning brown. In addition, trees can pass the disease through the root systems or beetles.
#9: Powdery Mildew
Spotting this fungal tree disease is easy. Look for a white powder coating on the leaves. Over time, the leaves become deformed, turn yellowish, and often drop to the ground prematurely. Trees that are most susceptible to powdery mildew include those in shady areas when the humidity is high, but there is little to no rainfall.
#10: Phytophthora Root Rot
Finally, this fungal disease tends to attack trees growing on sites with poor water drainage. The root rot leads to tees that appear to be stressed from drought and have wilting yellow or pale green leaves.
At Engram’s Tree Service, our certified arborist can help you diagnose any tree disease and develop a plan of care to help you protect your property. So, connect with us now to schedule service or to learn more about common tree diseases.