Flowering plum seems to be dying-brown leaves galore and was healthy just weeks ago,. - Ask Extension
Dear CSUMy flowering plum (15+ years old-ish) seems to be dying. Seemed very healthy just weeks ago and never has given us any issues. But now 1/2 or ...
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Flowering plum seems to be dying-brown leaves galore and was healthy just weeks ago,. #333481
Asked June 17, 2016, 4:59 PM EDT
Dear CSU
My flowering plum (15+ years old-ish) seems to be dying. Seemed very healthy just weeks ago and never has given us any issues. But now 1/2 or better of the limb ends and leaves are brown and the bark/limbs seem to be drying up? I know fire blight and this looks similar but I'm not sure. Usually fire blight isn't so rampant w/ the extensive drying, brown leaves and dead limbs as this seems to be. I'd hate to lose my tree. See the enclosed pics and let me know your thoughts. Can't thank CSU enough for being out there as a resource for us 'garden folk.' My mobile phone is<personal data hidden> if needed.
My flowering plum (15+ years old-ish) seems to be dying. Seemed very healthy just weeks ago and never has given us any issues. But now 1/2 or better of the limb ends and leaves are brown and the bark/limbs seem to be drying up? I know fire blight and this looks similar but I'm not sure. Usually fire blight isn't so rampant w/ the extensive drying, brown leaves and dead limbs as this seems to be. I'd hate to lose my tree. See the enclosed pics and let me know your thoughts. Can't thank CSU enough for being out there as a resource for us 'garden folk.' My mobile phone is<personal data hidden> if needed.
Arapahoe County Colorado
Expert Response
The good news is that it is not fireblight because that doesn't attack plum; the bad news is that given how fast your tree has changed and how extensive the damage looks in the photos, you possibly may have another serious fungal disease like Verticillium wilt.
It's awfully hard to give you an accurate diagnosis from just looking at photos. I recommend you either 1) bring a branch sample into the Jeffco Plant Diagnostic Clinic (at the Jeffco Fairgrounds, 15200 West 6th Avenue, Unit C, Golden, CO, <personal data hidden>; $10 fee for non-Jeffco residents), or 2) better yet, get a certified arborist out to your house where they can examine the tree in person and do a thorough assessment.
It's awfully hard to give you an accurate diagnosis from just looking at photos. I recommend you either 1) bring a branch sample into the Jeffco Plant Diagnostic Clinic (at the Jeffco Fairgrounds, 15200 West 6th Avenue, Unit C, Golden, CO, <personal data hidden>; $10 fee for non-Jeffco residents), or 2) better yet, get a certified arborist out to your house where they can examine the tree in person and do a thorough assessment.
