Azalea Fungus - Ask Extension
My azaleas have a blue/grey moss growing on then and killing the branches. I would appreciate someone identifying the "moss" and suggesting a method...
Knowledgebase
Azalea Fungus #629415
Asked April 30, 2020, 2:55 PM EDT
My azaleas have a blue/grey moss growing on then and killing the branches. I would appreciate someone identifying the "moss" and suggesting a method to eradicate the problem.
York County Virginia
Expert Response
This is just lichen and does not harm the plant. In fact, it indicates good air quality.
However, I don't jump for joy when I see lichen on small branches. This indicates that the shrub or tree is not growing at a healthy pace. Lichen only settle and stay on surfaces that are stagnant -- for example, I'd expect to see lichen on trunks of older trees since they are not sloughing off bark. But young branches should be increasing in growth too fast for lichen to settle on. So that tells me there are other problems that are slowing down the growth. I hope this makes sense.
I'd want to check my soil to see about pH (azaleas thrive in acid soils). I'd also examine the planting site and I'd want to be sure to have organic mulch around the base of the plant.
If this is a newly planted shrub, there may be issues with it getting established. But I'd check the things above to ensure that the shrub will be happy now and in the future. Here's a publication on transplant shock: https://plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/files/ppfs-or-w-19.pdf
And here is a growing guide from VA Tech: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426-602/426-602_pdf.pdf
Hope this helps.
However, I don't jump for joy when I see lichen on small branches. This indicates that the shrub or tree is not growing at a healthy pace. Lichen only settle and stay on surfaces that are stagnant -- for example, I'd expect to see lichen on trunks of older trees since they are not sloughing off bark. But young branches should be increasing in growth too fast for lichen to settle on. So that tells me there are other problems that are slowing down the growth. I hope this makes sense.
I'd want to check my soil to see about pH (azaleas thrive in acid soils). I'd also examine the planting site and I'd want to be sure to have organic mulch around the base of the plant.
If this is a newly planted shrub, there may be issues with it getting established. But I'd check the things above to ensure that the shrub will be happy now and in the future. Here's a publication on transplant shock: https://plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/files/ppfs-or-w-19.pdf
And here is a growing guide from VA Tech: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426-602/426-602_pdf.pdf
Hope this helps.
