Here's something I've never seen before.
This past Mothers' Day I bought a lovely "Louisa" Weeping Crabapple on sale. They're normally early spring bloomers following with small yellow crabapples in the fall, & when I purchased it it had already finished it's bloom cycle.
So, this summer has not only been brutally hot (although I've kept the tree well watered), but this poor tree has been victimized by some unseen insect pest to the point where it's almost completely naked of all foliage. I've examined that tree constantly from stem to stern & cannot discover what's causing it, just that I can tell from the damage that it's some insect. I've just been hoping that when cooler weather finally arrived it would have some time to recover before winter.
Today is the first relatively cool day we've had in months - rainy & mid-70's - & I just went outside to find a number of the branches breaking out in flower buds, along with a few blooms already!!
The only thing I can think of is that this was brought on by stress perhaps?
Confused "Louisa" Weeping Crabapple Blooming?!
Crabs, like some magnolias, occasionally rebloom. Since your tree was new, stressed, and breaking bud with new growth, a combination of factors probably triggered this. Regarding the insects, might they have been Japanese beetles? Thjey were horrible in our area this year (but not as horrible as the ongoing drought).
Guy S.
Thanks for the info. I supposed it could have been Japanese Beetles, as we do have some around - although not very badly. I'm just surprised that I never actually saw a beetle anywhere on the tree, which is relatively small enough to easily inspect in its entirety.
If it was the beetles, they would have turned the leaves into brown lace, leaving the veins. If the leaves are chewed up it was something else.
Guy S.
Leaves definitely chewed up.
I'm usually pretty good at identifying pests, but this one has me stymied. Luckily the weather is cooling off & the days are getting shorter. I've been watering the tree well during our dry periods & once the ground freezes will increase the mulch somewhat & hope it survives.
It will really me off if I lose this tree, as the last "Louisa" I had - which was much nicer form-wise - was killed via girdling from a Groundhog, & it took me a long, long time to find a replacement, as I really wanted another "Louisa".
Post a Reply to this Thread
More Trees, Shrubs and Conifers Threads
-
I believe my Pine Tree is dying
started by Jaguar18
last post by Jaguar18Oct 04, 20233Oct 04, 2023 -
Apple tree fungus/disease
started by Maxwell175
last post by Maxwell175Mar 25, 20241Mar 25, 2024 -
I have a tree that has badly deteriorated bark
started by BigRich1950
last post by BigRich1950Apr 24, 20241Apr 24, 2024 -
American Yellowwood - Perkins Pink toxic?
started by KayCisko
last post by KayCiskoMay 08, 20240May 08, 2024 -
Planting Trees - Complimentary tree?
started by KayCisko
last post by KayCiskoMay 09, 20240May 09, 2024