flowering crab apple tree leaves turning patchy brown - Ask Extension
Ornamental flowering crab apple tree in Hancock (Houghton County) MI (Upper Peninsula) leaves on outer branches are turning patchy brown and it's only...
Knowledgebase
flowering crab apple tree leaves turning patchy brown #271875
Asked August 21, 2015, 12:29 PM EDT
Ornamental flowering crab apple tree in Hancock (Houghton County) MI (Upper Peninsula) leaves on outer branches are turning patchy brown and it's only mid-August. There has been no root disturbance, insecticides or herbicides used in the area. The tree was sprayed for a fungus years ago but no specific info available other than that.
Houghton County Michigan
Expert Response
This looks and sounds like apple scab. If the crabapple is an older tree it probably does not have resistance to this fungal disease. The time for treatment is in the spring. The extension at the University of Minnesota has a helpful article online titled 'Managing Apple Scab on Ornamental Trees and Shrubs' that will be helpful for treatment options.
