What Is Wrong With My Hackberry?

Did the foliage turn brown or yellow and is undersized or sparse?

Are the leaves small, discolored, and drop early, clusters of honey-colored mushrooms may sprout at the base of the plant?

Are there any fungal fruiting bodies formed on the tree?

Are there any patches of white fluff on the undersides of the leaves that look a little like cotton wool?

Are the leaves yellow, branches, and leaves are covered with small bumps?

Hackberry dieback symptoms resemble those of vascular wilt disease. Foliage turns brown or yellow and is undersized or sparse. Limbs die back. Vascular tissue may be dark and stained. The entire tree may die. Hackberry dieback is caused by an unexplained malady. Provide appropriate cultural care and a good growing environment, especially adequate drainage. Avoid excess irrigation. Where the problem occurs, minimize spread by sterilizing tools after working on each tree.

Armillaria root rot is a fungal disease that cannot be effectively controlled once it has become established. Diseased or dead plants should be uprooted and removed. Planting resistant rootstocks is the most effective method of preventing the disease.

Wood decay fungus can greatly affect the life of the Hackberry by destroying its structural support. These fungi cause the wood located in the center of the tree limbs and trunk to decay. If the conditions are ideal, the fungus can decay the wood rather quickly. Often the wood decay is not visible on the exterior of the tree. However, if the tree becomes injured or cut you may be able to view the decaying cavity inside the tree. Defend the tree against wood decay fungus by protecting it from injury and removing dead branches as soon as possible.

Asian woolly hackberry aphid is an aphid pest specific to hackberries. Under the waxy covering are small, pale-yellow, sap-feeding aphids that exude sticky, sugary honeydew that can result in a secondary infection of sooty mold growing on the sap. Asian woolly hackberry aphid is not a big problem on well-established trees. Because plant health is not threatened, apply insecticide only where annoyance from honeydew cannot be tolerated.

Soft scales are known to attack Escallonia. Scrape off minor infestations with your fingernail. Prune out badly infested growth, or use a soft brush and soapy water to gently scrub the scales off the stems. Control scales by spraying insecticidal oil during the growing season.

Mineral deficiencies can cause tip chlorosis or necrosis or cause foliage to discolor, fade, distort, or become spotted, sometimes in a characteristic pattern that can be recognized to identify the cause. When nutrient deficiencies occur, nitrogen and iron are the most commonly seen deficiencies. Apply only the mineral found to be deficient. Excess nutrients, on the other hand, cause symptoms like leaf tip dieback, marginal leaf chlorosis, necrosis (or burn), branch dieback, and pest problems. In this case, you should provide good drainage, and use good practices during fertilization and irrigation.