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Brandywine red maple — new tree questions #749916

Asked May 14, 2021, 12:40 PM EDT

Hi, last year I planted a young Brandywine red maple which has been doing really well. Filling out nicely. But there are two NEW things that caught my eye today. Any concern? Remedy? Any help would be appreciated. Photo 1 (a + b) — 75% of the leaves have these small 'target-shaped' circles. Like birthmarks or something, on the leaves. There are about 1-4 per leaf affected. Any concern? Remedy? Photo 2 — at the bottom just above where the trunk goes into the ground, there appears to be a gash in the tree. I'd guess it's about 1/8" - 3/16" deep? Any concern? Remedy? Photo 3 — there also seem to be these "sores" at the joint of a branch and smaller branch. Normal? Or any concern? Thank you, Wendy

Montgomery County Maryland

Expert Response

Hello Wendy,

This appears to be a leaf spot caused by Anthracnose, a group of pathogens that cause leaf-spotting symptoms on various tree species. While this may sound alarming, they are usually not very impactful on the tree's overall health, even if the tree prematurely sheds any heavily-infected foliage. (We don't see signs of concerning levels of infection here. Plus, there is enough healthy leaf tissue to supply the tree's photosynthetic needs.) Fungicides aren't effective once symptoms appear and in your case, they likely aren't needed as a preventative measure since the infection looks light and should stop progressing with warmer, drier weather.
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/anthracnose-diseases-shade-trees

The trunk gash could be from an array of causes, but it doesn't look serious at this point. Frost cracks due to rapid temperature swings in the tissues during the colder months, growth cracks, and injury from deer antlers or mowing equipment all can cause similar-looking wounds. Nothing needs to be done, but you can monitor for its expansion and keep an eye out for more concerning symptoms like wilted/collapsed foliage and branch dieback. Wound-coating paints/tar are not recommended and may even be detrimental, so all you can do is see if it seals on its own.

The branch scars actually look like old, well-sealed cicada egg-laying scars from a prior year. (Not all cicada egg-laying damage results in twig death.) Nursery stock is often grown in more than one state (or at least at out-of-state wholesale farms) before it's ready for sale, so this tree could have been growing elsewhere during a different brood's emergence one or more years ago. Either way, the scars appear "healed" (insofar as plants are capable of healing) and not a concern. If you are worried that they may pose a breakage threat years in the future as the branches increase in weight, and if this is the only location for such scars, you could trim that branch off. If doing this, see the section Proper Pruning Cuts on this page so you know where to cut to avoid harming the branch collar: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/pruning-trees  Otherwise, this similarly requires no intervention.


Miri

Miri, THIS WAS FANTASTIC! And thank you so much for your quick reply. 

I LOVE being out in my yard, but am new to "tree planting." We had to down several dying maples last spring (BOY I missed the shade and dappled light). So I bought this one, and another tree behind was FREE care of the AWESOME MoCo planting program. Glad they are aiming to keep our canopy in the county as full as we can. 

Thank you again,
Wendy

On Fri, May 14, 2021 at 1:38 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied May 14, 2021, 3:04 PM EDT

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