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Black cherry tree problem #649447

Asked June 11, 2020, 1:36 PM EDT

I have a number of large black cherry trees in my back yard. They were here when I moved into my current home 40 years ago. This year I noticed that a number of leaves are falling to the ground prematurely - having turned yellow and showing rust spots. Attached is a photo showing three leaves. What is this? Is it fatal? Is there anything I can do to save the trees?

Harford County Maryland

Expert Response

You are seeing the symptoms of cherry shot hole disease. Wet spring weather is ideal for the development of this disease and we have had a lot of questions about this recently. Both a fungus and a bacterium can cause shot hole disease in cherries, and distinguishing between the two pathogens is challenging. Neither will be controlled by sprays applied after symptoms have progressed to this point. Some defoliation also occurs as a result of this condition.

The good news is that trees produce many more leaves than they need to feed themselves via photosynthesis, and in most cases mature trees can sustain some of this damage and recover in future years. Although the leaf loss can be alarming, it is not fatal to mature cherries. No treatment is recommended. Remove and dispose of fallen leaves from the planting area. This does tend to be a chronic issue in cherry trees in this area, and it is typically worse in wet weather years.

Here is more about cherry shot hole and how to manage it. https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/cherry-shot-hole-flowering-cherries

Christa

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