How will I know if my tree is infected?Īs Maple Tar Spot matures, its spots may become raised, textured, or just more visible.

However, while the spots may look different on different trees, their life cycle is the same. NOTE: Different species of the fungus look different and different maple species show variation in fungal growth patterns. In fact, it’s fallen leaves that can provide overwintering for Maple Tar Spot fungus, so leaf clean up is key to controlling it. The fungus remains on the leaf, even after the leaf falls. Once the spores reach a tree’s leaves, they evolve from tiny (1/8th inch) yellow spots that are easy to overlook into dark, tar-colored spots an inch or more in diameter, usually with a yellow edge. Maples put out their new leaves, while winds and rains carry the fungus to them.Īfter being carried by wind or water, fungal spores land on tree leaves. Warm spring temperatures “wake up” both the fungus and the tree. Maple Tar Spot and the maple trees it infects have evolved so that their annual patterns are in synch. It’s more likely to become infected if there are many other infected trees in your neighborhoods, if you don’t take any preventive measures, or if spring weather has been particularly wet. Whether or not your particular maple will develop Maple Tar Spot can depend on its surrounding environment. Will my maple get tar spot?Īll of these maples are susceptible to Maple Tar Spot because of their common plant genus, Acer. platanoides), and many cultivars of Japanese maples ( A. In our area, you’ll also find other non-native maple species such as Sycamore Maple ( Acer pseudoplatanus), Norway Maple ( A. Ohio has a number of maple species that are native to the state, including: Which trees are affected by maple tar spot?Īs its name suggests, Maple Tar Spot is a disease of maples. It’s followed by spring growth and release of fungal spores that are carried by wind and water to its host plants, our beloved maples. Like many other fungi, Rhytisma has an annual life cycle that includes dormant overwintering. Maple Tar Spot is caused by one or more species of the fungus Rhytisma. While it’s unattractive and can spread easily, Maple Tar Spot is not fatal to your trees. Maple Tar Spot is a common fungal disease whose name describes it well: maple leaves display dark, round spots that look like tar has been splashed on them. So when your maples develop disfiguring dark spots on their leaves, you’ll want to know what is causing it and what you can do. In addition to their flaming fall color display, maples are valuable, long-lived trees that sequester carbon and help keep our air cleaner.

Here in northeast Ohio, maples are beloved shade trees that offer green summer canopies, bright fall colors, and some also give us maple syrup for our pancakes. Learn what to look for, how it spreads, and what to do about it. Regionally, the cherry birch may be called by other common names, including black birch, sweet birch, mahogany birch, Virginia roundleaf birch, or spice birch.If the leaves on your maple trees have dark, round spots that look like they’ve been splashed with tar, it’s probably a fungal disease called maple tar spot. The tree is native to the eastern U.S., from Maine to northern Georgia. Its broken twigs emit a spicy wintergreen fragrance and fermented sap is an ingredient used in birch beer.

This tree also attracts beautiful butterflies to the landscape and is resistant to the bronze birch borer which can devastate other species of birch. Flowering in April and May, the tree produces fruiting catkins from August through October and serves as a food source for deer, moose, rabbits, and various birds. The bark on mature trees develops vertical cracks that form irregular scaly plates, closely resembling the bark of cherry trees. Shiny, red-brown bark and yellow foliage make this an attractive tree for lawns and naturalized areas. The Spruce Home Improvement Review BoardĬherry birch is a large tree that grows from a single main trunk.

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