Gorgeous leaves are the hallmark of Japanese maple trees–until they’re suddenly not!
“My Japanese maple looks really sick and not as full as usual. Leaves fell a lot, and they are all spotted. Is this because we received so much rain in the past several weeks/months? What do I need to do?” asked Linda from North Carolina.
Below, find out some of the reasons why Japanese maple leaves or trunks develop spots.
If you see circular, brown spots on Japanese maple tree leaves, it’s likely a leaf fungus called leaf spot. Or if the spots are more free-form, that could be anthracnose, another common leaf disease.
For some trees, leaf spot and anthracnose can mean a few dots on leaves here and there. In more severe cases, like Linda's, trees may drop leaves prematurely.
That’s likely powdery mildew. As the name suggests, powdery mildew causes dusty growth on the top of tree leaves. Like leaf spot and anthracnose, the worst-case scenario is defoliation.
Lichens look like fuzzy patches on tree trunks. They're typically found on slow-growing trees like the Japanese maple, so spotting them shouldn't be a cause for concern.
Japanese maple leaf problems may look like trouble, but that’s about it! Typically, they don’t affect your tree’s health.
Plus, you’ll be happy to know leaf spot, anthracnose and powdery mildew can be cleared in a few steps.
First:
Then: