Apricot: Silver leaf

Biology

Silver leaf is a fungal disease affecting cherry, apricot, plum, and other stone fruits. The fungus typically grows on dead wood, but it can infect living tissues through wounds and become systemic (established throughout the plant). The leaves of affected branches turn silvery to ashy in color and the margins may curl slightly upwards. The branch may either die quickly or show symptoms for several seasons before dying. Affected branches have a dark staining in the heartwood. The fungus can produce fruiting bodies only on dead wood. The shelf-like fruiting bodies push through the bark and are light brown to purple on the upper surface and pinkish to purple beneath. Trees are least susceptible to infection summer through fall in dry weather.

Management Options

Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for successful plant problem management.

Non-chemical Management

Select non-chemical management options as your first choice!

• Prevent wounds and injuries to trees, such as those caused by poor pruning practices, insect damage, or winter injury.
• Remove affected trees, if desired.
• Burn or destroy all prunings, which may serve as an infection source.
• Prune out and destroy affected portions of tree (best done summer to fall in dry weather), when practical.
• Remove all dead wood from infected trees to help prevent sporulation and spread of the fungus.

Chemical Management

IMPORTANT: Visit Home and Garden Fact Sheets for more information on using pesticides.

• None recommended.

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