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What is the disease causing the tips of new growth to turn brown or black and wilt #752898

Asked May 29, 2021, 8:39 PM EDT

This is on snakeroot, willow and sumac that the tips of the plants are wilting and turning dark. Is this a fungus? Can it be treated with spray or systemically? If so, what specific product do you recommend? Thanks.

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

This looks like herbicide drift.  Was a chemical used near them on a windy day?  Curled, cupped leaves are characteristic of herbicide damage.  

See:  http://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/deciduous/sumac/curledcuppeddistorted.html

Mary, Master Gardener, Tree Care Advisor Replied May 30, 2021, 5:35 PM EDT
Hi Mary

The neighbors on both sides regularly have a service spray their lawn for weeds and fertilizer. We don’t use any of that in our yard. Most of the plant damage was near the fence line, one is about 20 feet away.
Also we have an ash tree that is prematurely dropping some green leaves, not much to see on them.
Just had it treated for ash borer.
Any thoughts about why that would happen?

Thanks

Jared

On May 30, 2021, at 4:35 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

The Question Asker Replied June 01, 2021, 7:41 PM EDT

Regarding the ash tree, the following website discusses anthracnose and what to look for. It’s one possibility for leaf drop this time of year. This rarely causes long term problems for the tree as it will leaf out again. See: http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=30

Herbicide damage from drifting rarely causes plant death. Broadleaf weed killers were likely the cause. You might want to let your neighbor on the other side of the fence know this happened; so that in the future they can prevent applications of herbicides on windy days.

Mary, Master Gardener, Tree Care Advisor Replied June 02, 2021, 8:51 AM EDT

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