Sooty-bark Canker
Cryptostroma corticale
11 host plants · Fungal
Last updated
This profile contains verified disease data from extension databases. Regional field notes and expert review are in progress.
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) occasionally develops cankers that appear sooty or darkened on the bark. Limited information is available about symptoms, conditions, or management for this disease in cool temperate regions. The disease status and economic significance remain unclear, warranting observation but not urgent intervention in most landscape situations.
Prune out cankered branches at least six inches below visible symptoms, making cuts into healthy wood. Sterilize your tools between cuts. Canker pathogens typically enter through wounds, so minimize pruning injuries and avoid working on trees when bark is wet. Maintain tree vigor through proper watering and avoid stress from drought or compacted soil, which makes trees more susceptible.
Quick Reference
Management
Wound infection primarily Oct–May. Canker development and expansion during dormancy (Oct–May). Symptoms visible spring/early summer (Mar–June). BBCH 97–09.
Wound entry through pruning, frost cracks, or weather damage. Cryptostroma active during cool, moist dormancy. The fungus spreads more rapidly through tissue at warmer temperatures (25°C vs. 15°C) and under water stress.
Cultural Controls
- Avoid pruning during dormancy
- Prune only during dry conditions
- Remove and destroy infected branches
- Avoid injuring tree bases during construction or maintenance
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