Amelanchier Autumn Brillance, rust colored leaves, berried covered too - Ask Extension
I have an Amelanchier Autumn Brilliance and all of the berries are now covered with a yellow to rust colored film that also has points of sort. the su...
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Amelanchier Autumn Brillance, rust colored leaves, berried covered too #464648
Asked June 22, 2018, 8:40 PM EDT
I have an Amelanchier Autumn Brilliance and all of the berries are now covered with a yellow to rust colored film that also has points of sort. the surface is not smooth. some of the leaves have turned yellow and rust colored. more of the leaves now have light colored spots all over. see photo. another photo shows a deformed area at the end of a branch. thank you!
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
This looks like a rust disease on the serviceberry and there are several types. There may be some minor insect feeding on the foliage but it is not concerning. The rust disease does not kill the tree but it looks disfiguring. This can be common in cool wet weather. We are getting a lot of reports of rust disease this year, as our weather has been favorable for it.
Serviceberry is in the rose family, so it is susceptible to many of the same disease and insect pest problems that are seen in other species within the family (e.g. apples and pears). The alternate hosts of this disease are Eastern red cedars (Juniperus virginiana), Common juniper (J. communis), and Creeping juniper (J. horizontalis). The fungus carries out its lifecycle between the two host plants. The best recommendation is to select disease resistant varieties. No chemical control is recommended for ornamental plants. See our website https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/rust-diseases-trees-and-shrubs
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Serviceberry is in the rose family, so it is susceptible to many of the same disease and insect pest problems that are seen in other species within the family (e.g. apples and pears). The alternate hosts of this disease are Eastern red cedars (Juniperus virginiana), Common juniper (J. communis), and Creeping juniper (J. horizontalis). The fungus carries out its lifecycle between the two host plants. The best recommendation is to select disease resistant varieties. No chemical control is recommended for ornamental plants. See our website https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/rust-diseases-trees-and-shrubs
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