If the infection has traveled into a trunk or major limb, the wood often can be saved, but needs careful management by scraping off the bark down to both the outer and inner bark. This will remove the infected branch and the branch to which it is attached. To locate the correct cutting site, follow the infected branch to its point of attachment and cut at the next branch juncture down. At these times infections have ceased enlarging and canker margins are clearly visible.Ī telltale dark ring in the branch will indicate if the cut is not deep enough. Successful removal of a fire blight infection is done in summer or winter when the bacteria are no longer spreading through the tree. Open flowers are the most common infection sites, and the flower and flower stems will wilt and turn either black or brown depending on the type of fruit tree. Typically, in the spring, branch and trunk canker symptoms can appear as soon as the tree begins active growth. There are specific management techniques that you can follow to save your tree, but you must act quickly and prune correctly, because fire blight is a fast-spreading, destructive disease. The fire blight bacteria overwinters in long, narrow cankers on the tree and will present as wet-looking, brown, irregularly shaped, elongated lesions that develop in the bark and outer sapwood of spurs, branches and the tree trunk.īefore you grab your saw or pruning shears, carefully study and photograph the clues.

Fire blight on ornamentals is less common, but those that are susceptible include firethorn (also known as pyracantha), hawthorn, spiraea, cotoneaster, toyon, juneberry or serviceberry, loquat and mountain ash. Apple and crabapple are also frequently damaged. If you see brown or blackened leaves, a tan oozing substance or streaks on the branches of certain ornamental or fruit trees or if it looks like your fruit tree has been scorched by fire, your tree may be suffering from a fire blight infection.įruit trees such as pear and quince are extremely susceptible.

Plum tree fire blight