Brown, 1- to 3-inch-long "bags" hang from the branches. Leaves may turn a bronze color and then drop. The tree disease's growth is often a popular site for woodpecker feeding, as the bird is harvesting the beetles in the bark. When you spot signs of pests on your trees, follow these four tips for safely gaining the upper hand in the battle. Holly tree fungus problems are more prevalent among stressed or weakened plants. Crawler activity often coincides with the flush of new plant growth in the spring. Damage: On young or smooth-barked trees, the surface of the canker is often discolored, and tissue around the canker is enlarged. The identifying features of the sky pencil holly are its narrow growth, small leaves, and showy black fruit. Removing affected leaves will eliminate the spread of this disease. Cankers are caused by everything from mechanical damage inflicted by a lawn mower to environmental stress such as frost cracks and sunscald, to types of fungi and bacteria. See Table 1 for examples of products containing these active ingredients. Leafminers are the larvae (immature forms) of small (about -inch in length) black and gray flies. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! With proper maintenance, your holly trees remain vigorous and more prepared to fight off or to resist fungal infections. American Holly. She uses her accounting degree and financial savvy to help readers understand real estate markets and mortgage options. Fungicide drenches are not generally recommended for landscape use since infected plants cannot be cured. If spraying is required, always spray late in the evening to reduce the direct impact on pollinating insects. American and English holly bushes are the most likely victims. However, once a canker is detected on a stem or branch, the following measures should be taken to prevent the pathogen from spreading to other areas or other trees: Sterilize all pruning/cutting tools between cuts with 70% rubbing alcohol or a mixture of 1 part household bleach to 10 parts water. Florida wax scale (Ceroplastes floridensis) on Chinese holly (Ilex cornuta).United States National Collection of Scale Insects Photographs Archive, USDA Agricultural Research Service, www.forestryimages.org. Females lay eggs in the soil, which hatch into grubs, a major lawn pest. Most diseases of holly can be attributed to fungus. Remove dead or damaged limbs along with any that cross each other or grow back toward the trunk first, then continue thinning as needed. To control this disease, prune out infected branches as well as other branches in the bush to increase air circulation. Thiophanate-methyl is effective against most diseases, including leaf spot and holly leaf blight as well as anthracnose. Native holly leafminer, Phytomyza ilicicola Loew, Agromyzidae, DIPTERA. On closer inspection, it looks as if there has been insect infestation at the same level on the problem branches, but I have not found anything that indicates the solution to my problem through my on-line research. Dead or dying branches should also be removed. Damage: Tips of infected branches may hang down. They occur in the spring during periods when the weather is cool and moist. This is where the beetle exited the tree. Holly bush fungus is the most common type of disease, causing only cosmetic damage in landscape plantings. In periods of drought, water trees thoroughly. It's caused by several fungi varieties and affects plants that grow in the shade the most. Spine spot appears to be similar to purple blotch except that the leaves turn gray with a purple ring. Looking up close, pictures of male holly plant flowers show they have longer stamens than female holly flowers. Leaves on 3/4 of the tree are brown, but some at the back and lower part of the tree are still green. Size: 10 to 20 ft. (3 6 m) tall with a spread of 10 to 15 ft. (3 4.5 m). Common Diseases of Holly and Their Control 3 above the soil level, not below. For example, leaves on English holly and American holly are ovate with sharp spines on the wavy margins. Holly tree leaves: Yaupon holly tree leaves are rounded and small, only measuring 1 (2.5 cm) long and 0.5 (1.2 cm) wide. Rake up fallen leaves under the holly periodically and keep the area free of debris. Prune the tree to encourage better air circulation and mulch well to prevent the fungi from splashing up from the ground. 2. Botanically speaking, the fruit on holly plants are tiny round drupes, not berries. Canker is a common problem on apple trees. It makes an excellent screen, barrier, foundation planting or accent plant, and wildlife use it for food and cover. Each of these diseases are discussed in further detail below. Pest damage is often cosmetic. Prevention & Treatment: The fungus has the ability to persist in the soil for many years, even in the absence of susceptible plants. Holly tree bark diseases, such as bot canker, generally are stress-related, easily prevented if you take care of the bush properly. Please enter your email address below to create account. For example, sprays with insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, neem oil extract, spinosad, Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t. Damage: When this tree disease hits, leaves are covered with a thin layer or irregular patches of a powdery, grayish-white material. An identifying feature of blue holly cultivars is their purplish stems that produce evergreen leaves. Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. If you discover a disease on your holly plant, however, catching it early could save it. The distinguishable feature of this holly is its long, drooping leafy stalks. Small, yellow spots form on leaves and turn reddish brown with a small, yellow halo later in the summer. Marjan Kluepfel, Former HGIC Horticulture Information Specialist, Clemson UniversityJanet McLeod Scott, Former Horticulture Information Specialist, Clemson UniversityJames H. Blake, EdD, Extension Associate/Adjunct Professor, Dept. The dahoon holly is a small evergreen tree with ovate to oval smooth green leaves with slightly serrated tips and brilliant red winter berries. Pinellas Counties) . For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The identifiable feature of Chinese holly trees is their unusual rectangular leaves with two to four spikes that look like bull horns. East Palatka Holly (Jlg X attenuata) is often particularly hard hit. Another holly bush plant disease is Botryosphaeria canker, also called bot canker, which can occur on all types of holly. The types of diseases that are harmful to holly trees include tar spot, cankers, purple blotch, spine spot and chlorosis. Japanese hollies, particularly Helleri, are not very tolerant to low soil moisture, particularly for the first several years after planting. Camphor shoot borers are an introduced species of ambrosia beetle that attack small-diameter branches and trunks of stressed, weakened, and dying trees. Many species of holly tree (Ilex spp.) Holly trees and bushes are large shrubs or trees, many of which have thick, glossy, spiky leaves, small white flowers, and yellow, orange, black, or red berries. They rarely kill established trees, but they may cause severe growth deformities. Branches and eventually the entire plant dies. However, it is very important to always read and follow the label directions on each product. Adults, eggs, and cast skins (white) of southern red mite (Oligonychus ilicis).John A. Weidhass, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, www.forestryimages.org. Holly trees and bushes are large shrubs or trees, many of which have thick, glossy, spiky leaves, small white flowers, and yellow, orange, black, or red berries. See Table 1 for examples of products containing these active ingredients. Purple blotches appear on the leaves of the holly and, as the name indicates, are purple. Grow hollies in full sun exposure; though hollies will grow in full sun to partial shade, plants grow most successfully in full sun. In late fall, tiny black dots are scattered over the white patches like pepper grains. Purple Leaf Scorch: The most common leaf discoloration is a purplish blotch due to the environment rather than a fungus. But anyone. Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer. Infected leaves may turn yellow or red and drop. Root rots, however, are lethal and can live in the ground for many years even without. Inspecting the leaves will reveal incidents of tar spots. With this disease, yellow spots appear on the leaves in May. Holly tree leaves: Japanese holly tree leaves are small and oval, like plant leaves from the Buxus genus. Adult Japanese beetles feed on flowers and leaves of various trees and shrubs, such as linden, crabapple, birch, and rose. Comprehensive details about visible damage as well as control measures accompany each image to help you get a handle on what is troubling your tree. Unlike common varieties of holly trees, the dahoon holly doesnt have spiky leaves. The Nellie Stevens is a popular landscaping shrub-like tree for its shiny appearance and ease of care. Mulch around hol- lies with well-rotted sawdust, pine straw, or an aged bark to hold moisture in the soil and to avoid mechanical injury to the limbs and trunk by mowers and weed trimmers. The small flowering evergreen tree grows well as a hedge or specimen plant in a garden landscape. As with all pesticides, read and follow all label instructions and precautions. Control: Naturally occurring predators of mites include various predatory mites, ladybird beetles, and other insects. Learn more about these holly bush problems with the information found in this article. Control: Light infestations of scale can be scraped off by hand or infested branches pruned out. The Nellie Stevens holly tree has a conical shape of dense, dark green, glossy foliage, bright red berries, and white spring flowers. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Holly tree berries: Clusters of red berries in the winter. Always choose locations that have good drainage for planting. An infected holly will have dark brown to black roots; the fungus works its way back from the tips. Although wildlife can consume holly berries, the tiny colorful fruits can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, vomiting, and drowsiness if humans eat them. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool , Clemson Extension: Holly Diseases & Insect Pests. 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