Anthracnose (Shade Trees)

Discula destructiva (dogwood), Kabatiella and Discula spp. (maple), Apiognomo...

175 host plants · Fungal

Last updated

Watch for small, round spots with dark centers appearing on foliage, particularly on dogwoods, oaks, and maples during wet springs. Infected leaves develop gray or black centers with a distinct border; under humid conditions, you might spot pinkish spore masses within lesions. More concerning are lesions on leaf stems and petioles that can girdle and kill entire leaves, or crown rot starting from the base of plants where the tissue turns reddish-brown and soft. The disease accelerates when conditions stay wet for extended periods, which is typical in cool climates during spring.

Anthracnose thrives in cool, wet conditions that favor spore germination and spread. Continuous wetness for 8 hours or longer creates ideal conditions for infection, and high nitrogen fertility actually increases disease severity by promoting succulent growth. The key to management is reducing leaf wetness and improving air circulation around your plants. Space trees and shrubs to allow foliage to dry quickly after rain and irrigation; use drip irrigation rather than overhead watering; prune off infected branches and twigs during dormancy, before new inoculum works into the soil; and select resistant cultivars when available, such as Kousa dogwood selections like Stellar Pink or Celestial.

Quick Reference

Agent Type
fungal
Causal Agent
Discula destructiva (dogwood), Kabatiella and Discula spp. (maple), Apiognomo...
Host Plants
175
Spread
Rain splash dispersal of spores; movement of infected plants or debris.
Favorable Conditions
Cool temperatures (50-57°F) during bud break and early leaf development with ...
Now: Primary Spore ReleaseHigh Risk

Ascospores and conidia released during wet spring weather. Infection requires 12+ hours continuous leaf wetness at cool temperatures (50-57°F). Young expanding leaves most susceptible.

Next: Active Infection & Secondary Spread

Management

Vulnerability Window

Spring (March-May) during bud break and new foliage expansion. Young expanding leaves are most susceptible; mature leaves become resistant. source: UC IPM, Penn State Extension

What Triggers Infection

Cool temperatures (50-57°F) during bud break and early leaf development with prolonged leaf wetness (12+ hours continuous). All forms require free moisture on plant surfaces for spore germination. source: PNW Plant Disease Management Handbook

Cultural Controls

  • Rake and destroy fallen leaves from spring through fall to reduce overwintering inoculum. WSU HortSense
  • Prune out and destroy infected twigs and branches during dormancy. WSU HortSense
  • Maintain open canopy structure for air circulation. UC IPM
  • Avoid overhead irrigation, or limit the time foliage is wet from irrigation. WSU HortSense
  • For most shade trees (maple, oak, ash), anthracnose is cosmetic and fungicide treatment is rarely warranted. UC IPM
Regional Notes

Shade tree anthracnose is common here due to cool, wet springs with prolonged leaf wetness during bud break. Dogwood anthracnose (Discula destructiva) is the serious concern, particularly on native Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii); kousa dogwoods and kousa hybrids show strong resistance. Maple and oak anthracnose are conspicuous in cool wet springs but trees recover. See sycamore-anthracnose profile for Platanus-specific guidance.

Host Plants (175)

Acer buergerianum Trident Maple, Three-toothed Maple Acer campestre Hedge Maple, Field Maple, Common Maple Acer capillipes Red Stripebark Maple, Red Snakebark Maple, Hakkoda Maple Acer carpinifolium Hornbeam Maple Acer circinatum Vine Maple Acer coriaceifolium Leatherleaf Maple Acer crataegifolium Hawthorn, Maple Acer davidii David Maple, Père David's Maple Acer freemanii Freeman Maple, Hybrid Red Maple Acer ginnala Acer ginnala Acer glabrum Rocky Mountain Maple, Rock Maple, Douglas Maple, Dwarf Maple Acer glabrum var. douglasii Douglas Maple, Dwarf Maple, Rocky Mountain Maple Acer grandidentatum Bigtooth Maple, Western Mountain Sugar Maple, Rocky Mountain Sugar Maple Acer griseum Paperbark Maple Acer henryi Henry's Maple Acer japonicum Fullmoon Maple Acer macrophyllum Bigleaf Maple Acer maximowiczianum Nikko Maple Acer miyabei Miyabe Maple Acer monspessulanum Montpellier Maple Acer negundo Boxelder Manitoba Maple, Ash-leaved Maple Acer nipponicum Nippon Maple Acer oblongum Evergreen Maple, Smooth Leaf Maple Acer oliverianum Oliver Maple Acer opalus subsp. obtusatum Bosnian Maple Acer palmatum Japanese Maple Acer palmatum var. dissectum Dissected Japanese Maple Acer pensylvanicum Striped Maple, Moosewood Maple Acer pentaphyllum Acer pentaphyllum (no common name) Acer pictum Painted Maple Acer platanoides Norway Maple Acer pseudoplatanus Planetree Maple, Sycamore, Maple Acer rubrum Red Maple Acer rufinerve Redvein Maple, Honshu Maple Acer saccharinum Silver Maple Acer saccharum Sugar Maple Acer sempervirens Cretan Maple Acer shirasawanum Shirasawa Maple Acer spicatum Mountain Maple, Moose Maple Acer tataricum Tatarian Maple, Tartarian Maple Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala Amur Maple Acer tegmentosum Manchurian Stripebark Maple, Manchustriped Maple Acer triflorum Three Flowered Maple Acer truncatum Purpleblow Maple, Shantung Maple Acer velutinum Velvet Maple Arbutus unedo Strawberry Tree, Killarney Strawberry Tree, Madroño Cornus alba Tatarian Dogwood, Tartarian Dogwood Cornus alternifolia Pagoda Dogwood Cornus amomum Silky Dogwood Cornus canadensis Bunchberry Cornus capitata Evergreen Dogwood, Bentham's Cornel, Himalayan Strawberry Tree Cornus controversa Giant Dogwood Cornus drummondii Rough-leaved Dogwood Cornus eddies Cornus eddies Cornus elwinortonii Cornus elwinortonii Cornus florida Flowering Dogwood Cornus kousa Kousa Dogwood Cornus mas Corneliancherry Dogwood Cornus nuttallii Pacific Dogwood Cornus officinalis Japanese Cornelian Dogwood Korean Cornelian Dogwood, Chinese Cornelian Dogwood Cornus porlock Porlock Dogwood Cornus racemosa Gray Dogwood, Red Panicle Dogwood Cornus rutgersensis Cornus rutgersensis Cornus sanguinea Bloodtwig Dogwood Cornus sericea Cornus sericea Cornus sericea subsp. occidentalis Western Dogwood, Creek Dogwood Cornus stolonifera Redosier Dogwood Cornus torreyi Western Dogwood, Creek Dogwood Cornus venus Venus Dogwood Digitalis purpurea Common Foxglove Euonymus alatus Euonymus alatus Euonymus americanus American Euonymus, Hearts-a-Burstin', Strawberry Bush Euonymus atropurpureus Eastern Wahoo Euonymus europaeus Common Spindle Tree, European Euonymus Euonymus fortunei Wintercreeper Euonymus, Wintercreeper Euonymus japonicus Japanese Spindle Euonymus kiautschovicus Euonymus kiautschovicus Fragaria chiloensis Beach Strawberry Sand Strawberry, Chilean Strawberry Fraxinus americana White Ash, American Ash Fraxinus anomala Singleleaf Ash, Dwarf Ash Fraxinus excelsior Euopean Ash, Common Ash Fraxinus latifolia Oregon Ash Fraxinus ornus Flowering Ash Fraxinus oxycarpa Fraxinus oxycarpa Fraxinus pennsylvanica Green Ash Fraxinus quadrangulata Blue Ash Fraxinus sieboldiana Siebold Ash, Japanese Flowering Ash, Chinese Flowering Ash Juglans nigra Black Walnut Juglans regia English Walnut, Persian Walnut Ligustrum japonicum Japanese Privet, Waxleaf Privet Ligustrum ovalifolium Ligustrum ovalifolium Ligustrum sinense Chinese Privet Lonicera pileata Privet, Honeysuckle Paeonia lutea subsp. ludlowii Tibetan Peony Ludlow's Tree, Peony Paeonia suffruticosa Tree, Peony Chinese Moutan Peony Platanus acerifolia London Planetree Platanus mexicana Mexican Sycamore Platanus occidentalis American Sycamore, American Planetree Buttonwood Quercus acutissima Sawtooth Oak Quercus agrifolia Coast Live Oak Quercus alba (Eastern) White Oak Quercus arizonica Arizona Oak, Arizona White Oak Quercus berberidifolia California Scrub Oak, Scrub Oak, Inland Scrub Oak Quercus bicolor Swamp White Oak Quercus bimundorum Two Worlds Oak, Bimundors Oak Quercus castaneifolia Chestnut-leaved Oak, Chestnutleaf Oak, Persian Oak Quercus cerris Turkey Oak Quercus chrysolepis Canyon Live Oak Quercus coccinea Scarlet Oak Quercus douglasii Blue Oak, California Blue Oak Quercus durata Leather Oak Quercus emoryi Emory Oak, Black Oak, Blackjack Oak Quercus engelmannii Engelmann Oak, Mesa Oak Quercus frainetto Hungarian Oak, Italian Oak Quercus gambelii Gambel Oak, Rocky Mountain White Oak Quercus garryana Oregon White Oak Quercus garryana var. breweri Brewer's Oak Quercus glandulifera Konara Oak Quercus glauca Japanese Blue Oak, Ring-cupped Oak Quercus hypoleucoides Silverleaf Oak, Whiteleaf Oak Quercus ilex Holly, Oak, Holm Oak Quercus ilicifolia Bear Oak Quercus imbricaria Shingle Oak Quercus kelloggii California Black Oak Quercus leana Lea's Oak Quercus lobata Valley Oak, Roble Oak, California White Oak Quercus macrocarpa Bur Oak, Mossycup Oak Quercus marilandica Blackjack Oak, Jack Oak Quercus mongolica Mongolian Oak Quercus montana Mountain Chestnut, Oak, Chestnut, Oak, Rock Chestnust Oak Quercus muehlenbergii Chinkapin Oak, Chinquapin Oak, Yellow Chestnut, Oak Quercus myrsinifolia Chinese Evergreen Oak, Bamboo-leaf Oak Quercus nigra Water Oak, Possum Oak Quercus palustris Pin Oak, Swamp Spanish Oak Quercus petraea Sessile Oak, Durmast Oak, Irish Oak Quercus phellos Willow, Oak Quercus prinoides Dwarf Chinquapin Oak, Dwarf Chestnut, Oak, Scrub Chestnut, Oak Quercus robur English Oak Quercus rubra Northern Red Oak Quercus sadleriana Sadler Oak, Deer Oak Quercus stellata Post Oak Quercus suber Cork Oak Quercus turbinella Scrub Live Oak Quercus undulata Wavyleaved Oak Quercus vaccinifolia Huckleberry, Oak Quercus velutina Black Oak Quercus virginiana Southern Live Oak, Live Oak Quercus wislizeni Interior Live Oak, Chapparal Oak Ribes aureum Golden Currant, Buffalo Currant Ribes cereum Wax Currant Ribes davidii ge ye cha biao zi (革叶茶藨子) (Chinese name) Ribes divaricatum Coast Black Gooseberry, Straggly Gooseberry Ribes gordonianum Gordon's Currant Ribes malvaceum Chaparral Currant Ribes nevadense Mountain Pink Currant, Pink Sierra Currant, Sierra Currant Ribes odoratum Golden Currant, Missouri Currant, Clove Currant, Buffalo Currant Ribes roezlii Sierra Gooseberry, Roezl's Gooseberry, Mountain Gooseberry Ribes sanguineum Red-flowering Currant Rubus allegheniensis Allegheny Blackberry Rubus armeniacus Himalayan Blackberry Armenian Blackberry Rubus calycinoides Crinkle-leaf Creeper Creeping Raspberry Yü-shan raspberry Rubus dicolor Himalayan Blackberry Armenian Blackberry Rubus hayata Rubus hayata Rubus laciniatus Evergreen Blackberry Cutleaf Blackberry Rubus leucodermis Blackcap, Western Raspberry Rubus lineatus Silky-leaved Berry Rubus odoratus Flowering Raspberry Purple-flowering Raspberry Rubus parviflorus Thimbleberry Western Thimbleberry Rubus rolfei Creeping Raspberry, Crinkle-leaf Creeper Rubus spectabilis Salmonberry Rubus tricolor Creeping Bramble Korean Raspberry Rubus ursinus Trailing Blackberry Western Blackberry California Blackberry Dewberry Solanum aviculare Kangaroo Apple Umbellularia californica Oregon Myrtle, California Bay California-laurel Viburnum awabuki Sweet Viburnum

Sources & References

Primary: PNW Plant Disease Management Handbook

Data Maturity
Structured Multiple sources. Expert review underway.