Tubakia leaf spot, caused by the fungus Tubakia, is the disease we find more commonly on oak than any other. Throughout the world, there are 11 species of Tubakia known to infect oak, with Tubakia dryina (previously known as Actinopelte dryina) being the most commonly encountered species in our landscapes. Apple, ash, black gum, chestnut,[Read More…]
Resources for landscapes and gardens in the Midwest
Landscape Report
Plant Diseases
We often think of Phytophthora as mainly a root rot pathogen, but Phytophthora can also cause a bleeding trunk canker under the right conditions. The most commonly attacked trees we see in the diagnostic lab are American and European beech (Fagus spp.), and maples (Acer spp.); but this disease is also reported to occur on[Read More…]
As the 2020 gardening year draws to a close, now is the time to ensure a successful gardening season next year, for you or your customers! Sanitation is a cornerstone of integrated pest management and is essential for good plant health management. Throughout the year, we have been plagued with both unusually wet and unusually[Read More…]
This very slimy substance (Fig. 1) has many common names, was once classified as an algae but is now known as a Cyanobacterium. It is worse in areas that are frequently wet, such as low areas in lawns or on frequently irrigated golf courses (Fig. 2) or along walkways in nurseries where it can create[Read More…]
Do you have a tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) in your yard and does it look like fall has come early? This is a likely occurrence in the landscape in late summer, especially leading into August. About this time of year leaves on many tulip poplar trees will start to gradually turn yellow before they fall[Read More…]
This spring the PPDL received several samples, calls and emails related to dying weeping cherry trees (Fig. 1, 2, 3). Reports of this phenomenon came from as far away as Missouri. Ornamental cherry trees (and related Prunus spp.) are susceptible to multiple problems, including southwest injury (Fig. 4) Botryosphaeria dieback/canker (Fig. 5), bacterial canker and[Read More…]
Plants that experience extremes in soil moisture may develop spots on their leaves, called “oedema” (also spelled “edema”). The spots may first appear as a blister or raised spot, particularly on the undersides of leaves, but may occur on the top side as well as on the stems. Eventually, the blister develops a rust-colored, cork-like[Read More…]
Hollyhock (Alcea spp.), an anchor plant for the back of the cottage garden, bloom mid-summer with numerous flowers on tall spikes, providing beauty for us, and food for bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. The most common varieties are biennial, taking two years to complete their lifecycle, although some persist as short-lived perennials. Fortunately, they are prolific[Read More…]
Willows (Salix spp.) can be beautiful additions to the landscape. These iconic trees can be found growing naturally in river bottoms, along ponds, rivers, and streams; all areas with consistently moist soil. In the landscape, where soil moisture is much more variable, willows can be stressed by drought, increasing damage from a number of canker[Read More…]
Slime flux (also known as wet wood) is a dark, foul-smelling and unsightly seepage of sap from tree trunks (fig. 1). The disease is not usually a serious problem but the appearance can be alarming. Slime flux is caused by common surface-inhabiting bacteria or yeast fungi that enter the trunk through wounds associated with improper[Read More…]
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