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Monday - August 25, 2014

From: Waco, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Diseases and Disorders, Shrubs, Trees
Title: Problems with a Cercis (Redbud)
Answered by: Anne Van Nest

QUESTION:

Half of my redbud tree is pooped out looking. On two places on the bark are areas where a few layers of bark have pulled back. In these areas there are white growths.

ANSWER:

Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories has a good online factsheet on Redbuds (Cercis canadensis) that might help with your tree problems. If your problem is progressing and this is a valuable tree, call a certified arborist to come take a look at your tree.

Here's some of what the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories said about redbud problems ... Cankers are the most serious disease problem of redbud. These fungi infect major limbs and the trunk cutting off the flow of nutrients. Most canker fungi require that the tree be under stress and have an open wound for infection. The most common stress factor is summer drought. Verticillium wilt is another disease that produces very similar symptoms to cankers.
Both of these diseases are first seen as single limb dieback that may spread to the entire tree. Verticillium infects roots and spreads to the stem. Several leaf spot fungi including anthracnose attack this species especially during wet springs.

Old trees are often attacked by wood boring insects. These insects are first noticed from the frass that accumulates at the base or the tree or sap oozing from holes in the bark. A number of leaf-feeding insects are also attracted to redbud. These include tent caterpillar,leafhoppers, treehoppers, leafrollers, weevils and other caterpillars. Branches are often attacked by scale insects including greedy, oleander, leucanium and terrapin.

From the Image Gallery

Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis