Knowledgebase
What is white fungus growing on flowering cherry tree? Should I be concerned that it will kill the tree? #800741
Asked July 12, 2022, 1:30 PM EDT
A long established (15-20 years) flowering cherry tree is covered on many branches with a white fungus. The tree is located outside the north-east corner of the house. It gets sunshine in the early day and then is in shadow for the remainder of the day. Recently we noticed that it was losing leaves from the branches closest to the house. On closer investigation we noticed the fungus.
St. Clair County Michigan
Expert Response
Would you be able to send an image of the branch and the white substance that you believe to be a fungus?
Thank you!
Hope these photos work.
Hello Patrick,
I think you sent these ID request MSU Plant and Pest Diagnostics. I'm answering again.
Our best guess without actually seeing a sample is white prunicola/peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis spp. (Hemiptera: Diaspididae).
This from the Cornell University Extension web site at :
counties.cce.cornell.edu/schenectady/Master%20Gardener%20W...e%20Prunicola%20Scale.pdf
Prepared by Dr. Maurie Semel, Long Island Horticultural Research Laboratory, Riverhead, NY, and Thomas Kowalsick, Cornell Cooperative Extension - Suffolk County, updated 5/2006.
What was formerly considered to be a single species of scale known as the white peach scale, has been determined to actually involve two species, one commonly known as the white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona, and the other, Pseudaulacaspis prunicola, with the suggested common name of white prunicola scale (WPS). The WPS is the species found on Long Island, whereas white peach scale is more southern in its geographic distribution.
On Long Island, there are usually two generations of WPS each year and possibly a third generation as is the case in Maryland.1 Generations will overlap in the field. Proper timing of effective control strategies is essential to achieve adequate control.
Life Cycle: The general chronology of the appearance of the stages of WPS is as follows. The insect overwinters as fertilized adult females on the bark of the host plant. The scales are firmly attached, sheltering the creamy white to yellow-orange, soft-bodied insect. Eggs are deposited under the scale of the insect as the season warms in early- to mid-May. Egg laying continues for about a month with each female depositing about 100 light salmon-colored eggs. Eggs of this spring generation will hatch in 2-3 weeks depending on prevailing temperatures. The young that emerge are called "crawlers" since they are the motile forms that disperse over the host until they select a suitable site for feeding. Crawlers of the spring brood are present during late May to mid-June. The sucking mouthpart, or stylet, is inserted into the vascular system, and the scale remains attached and immobile as plant sap is extracted. The armored covering is produced as feeding continues. The female scale cover is circular and white; that of the male is white also, but smaller and elongated. The male scale insect develops wings that enable it to search out and contact the female for mating purposes. The spring brood matures in mid- to late-June. Oviposition occurs in July. Development of the second-generation eggs is more rapid and hatching generally will occur in 1-2 weeks. Crawlers of the brood are present in mid-July through early-August and reach maturity in late August or early September.
Damage: Injury to the host plant results from the removal of plant juices. Larger branches and trunks are preferred but in severe infestations, smaller branches, twigs and other plant parts may be attacked. Heavy feeding can result in branch dieback and complete plant mortality.
Hosts: WPS is most commonly found on Prunus spp. (stone fruits), particularly Prunus serrulata, the Japanese flowering cherry, Ligustrum spp. (privet) and Syringa spp. (lilac) and more recently on Euonymous spp. (euonymous).
Management: One group of pests that requires good timing are the armored scales. Dormant oil treatments are not effective against white prunicola scale. Control of white prunicola scale and other armored scales requires that control measures be applied at peak crawler emergence which is during late May to mid-June and again during mid-July through early-August . Recommended products include two percent horticultural oil, cyfluthrin sold Bayer Multi Purpose Insect Killer, Ortho Bug-B-Gone with bifenthrin, Distance (pyriproxyfen) and Safari (dinotefuran). You have more flexibility in timing with the Distance and Safari than with the oil.
Regards,
Howard
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