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Japanese maple red dragon #885298

Asked September 15, 2024, 7:43 AM EDT

Good evening, I am writing to try and find out what is attacking the leaves of my Japanese maple red dragon. I purchased this tree from a big box store in hopes of saving it as it looked very neglected. However when I brought it home and planted it, the very next day it was showing signs of white discoloration on the leaves. I don’t know if it is powdery white mildew or if there is something else that attacks this type of plant. Or if it is detrimental to the plant itself or just seasonal. Any help is appreciated. I have attached pictures for reference.

Hillsborough County New Hampshire

Expert Response

Hello Lisa,

Thanks for reaching out to the UNH Extension Infoline. It looks like your Japanese maple has powdery mildew. This is relatively common for this tree and at this time of year although it is a more pronounced problem when we have higher levels of precipitation.

Have a look at this question and answer from the University of Maryland Extension-

https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=776514

As they recommend, I don't think you need to do anything at this point, but when the leaves fall, I would collect, bag, and either bury, burn, or landfill them so it doesn't overwinter and spread further next year.

I hope this helps and please get in touch with any further questions!


Thank you for contacting the Infoline, a service of UNH Cooperative Extension Replied September 16, 2024, 1:50 PM EDT

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