My volunteer black cherry tree -- about a year old, and eight feet tall or so -- has very suddenly developed strange cankers on many of its leaves. I have done some searches on common diseases of cherry trees and this doesn't seem to match anything.
(Of course it could not be a cherry tree....)
I have attached some pictures -- PLEASE if you know what this is, help me fight it!
My first thought was that it doesn't look like a cherry leaf.
Can you take a pic of the tree bark? that would give a definite answer
Leaf curl looks like it caused by a fungal bacteria and needs to be treated with a fungicide
Hi flowAjen -- thanks for the reply. I've appended a photo of the tree bark -- welcome your ID!
I asked my mom (master gardener in training) and she checked with her local extension folks and they seem to think it's Taphrina spp., a fungus. Unsightly but not life-threatening.
What do you think?
I think the bark looks like a cherry. I wasn't sure about the leaves, thought they should have smooth margins, but I usually don't look as closely as those photos. I'm glad you got an ID on that fungus and that it's "unsightly but harmless." :-)
Here's black cherry bark
http://forestry.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=forestry&cdn=education&tm=7&f=10&su=p284.13.342.ip_&tt=3&bt=7&bts=20&zu=http%3A//www.forestryimages.org/browse/subimages.cfm%3Fsub%3D2796
and foliage
http://forestry.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=forestry&cdn=education&tm=7&f=10&su=p284.13.342.ip_&tt=3&bt=7&bts=20&zu=http%3A//www.forestryimages.org/browse/subimages.cfm%3Fsub%3D2796
That's the bark on a mature black cherry. Young tree trunks (and branches on older trees) look like Betsy's photo. If you peel off a bit of bark, it comes off in a ring.
The link didn't go directly to the young bark I was looking at, check out image 0008010
That doesn't look like Betsy's photo to you?
Well, I'm no tree ID expert, for sure. I do think it's in the genus Prunus at least (cherries, plums, etc).
My grandfather was amazing. He worked with wood and could ID pretty much any tree in his area -- in winter, from the bark alone. I mean, sure, I can ID a sycamore or a birch that way, but -- tell a sugar maple from a red maple? *blink blink*
oh yeah def the same family but not so sure black cherry, but I'm no tree expert either :) ... nonetheless, it def looks like a fungal problem so a fungicide is needed
actually, I think she said the fungus had been ID'd and was "unsightly" but not an actual threat to the tree.
Betsy, you might try posting your bark photo and a leaf photo -- undamaged if you can find one -- on the ID forum. :-)
Info about that fungus from Illinois Horticult Extension
Repeated early defoliation can weaken trees and predispose them to other problems.
Make one fungicide application as a dormant spray to buds and twigs in the fall after leaf drop or in the spring before buds begin to swell. Applications of fungicides after bud-break are ineffective.
I know that the cicadas are supposed to damage some young trees. Given that your tree is already feeling a bit under the weather, you might want to be sure to protect it from cicadas if it turns out they attack cherries.
Thank you so much for all the helpful information!
The black cherry ID is amateur and I will post healthy leaf/bark photos to the ID forum here for a more informed review. Thanks for the suggestions.
happy, I'm in Vienna, just north of the cicada emergence area. I haven't seen any of them. I was in Chevy Chase for the Brood II emergence back in 2004 so I know exactly what these little buggers look like and what they can do. I will keep an eagle eye out but so far I have not seen or heard any cicadas.
Thank you all so much -- I am relieved that the fungus doesn't appear to be life-threatening!
Betsy -- I read that we need to worry about Cicada damage between May 15 and June 30. I haven't seen any yet myself.
