Fact Sheets

Willow: Carpenterworm

Willow: Carpenterworm categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Willow Willow Insects revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Carpenterworm larval minePhoto by: Unknown Biology Carpenterworms are the larvae of a mottled gray and black moth. The caterpillars are white or pinkish-red with a dark head and 1″ to 3″ long when mature. They bore in the trunk and main branches […]

Willow: Poplar and willow borer

Willow: Poplar and willow borer categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Willow Willow Insects revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Poplar-and-willow borer adult Biology The adult poplar-and-willow borer is a black and white weevil (a flightless beetle) about 3/8″ long. The larvae are white and legless and mine beneath the bark and in trunk and branches. Feeding larvae expel […]

Willow: Satin moth

Willow: Satin moth categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Willow Willow Insects revision date: 2023-04-12 12:00 Satin mothPhoto by: A.L. Antonelli Biology The caterpillars of the satin moth feed on leaves of willows and poplars. They may also occasionally attack oak and aspen. The adult moth is satiny and pure white, with a wingspan of 1 1/2″ […]

Willow: Spiny elm caterpillar

Willow: Spiny elm caterpillar categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Willow Willow Insects revision date: 2023-04-12 12:00 Spiny elm caterpillarPhoto by: S.J. Collman Biology The spiny elm caterpillar is the larval stage of the mourningcloak butterfly. The adult is approximately 2 1/2″ across, with purplish-brown to blackish wings bordered by a creamy yellow stripe and a row […]

Willow: Bacterial twig blight

Willow: Bacterial twig blight categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Willow Willow Diseases revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Willow bacterial twig blightPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Bacterial twig blight of willow is caused by the same bacterium that causes bacterial blight of lilac and other woody ornamentals. The disease attacks twigs and branches, causing them to die back. […]

Willow: Marssonina leaf and twig spot

Willow: Marssonina leaf and twig spot categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Willow Willow Diseases revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Marssonina leaf and twig spotPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Marssonina leaf and twig spot is a fungal infection of twigs and leaves. Initially, small brown to black spots develop on leaves and green twigs. The spots may have […]

Willow: Rust

Willow: Rust categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Willow Willow Diseases revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Willow rust damage on upper leaf surfacePhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Willow rusts are fungal diseases that begin in early summer, but are most noticed in late summer to early fall. Leaves first display yellow spots, which turn dark brown or black […]

Willow: Twig blight (Venturia)

Willow: Twig blight (Venturia) categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Willow Willow Diseases revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Willow twig blight cankers and diebackPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Also known as scab, willow twig blight infects leaves and twigs. The fungus first infects new foliage in the spring, causing brown to dark spots along the midrib of the […]

Sycamore: Sycamore anthracnose

Sycamore: Sycamore anthracnose categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Sycamore Sycamore Diseases revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Sycamore anthracnose leaf symptoms.Photo by: R.S. Byther Biology Sycamore anthracnose is a fungal disease affecting buds, leaves, and shoots. Young leaves appear brown and crinkled, with small to large dead areas often occurring along the main vein or on leaf margins. […]

Sycamore: Aphids

Sycamore: Aphids categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Sycamore Sycamore Insects revision date: 2024-04-08 11:46 Aphid colony on leafPhoto by: A.L. Antonelli Biology Aphids are soft-bodied insects that typically feed on leaves and succulent stems. They may vary in color from pale green or reddish to dark or black. Aphids are usually less than 1/8″ in length. […]

Poplar: Bacterial blight

Poplar: Bacterial blight categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Poplar Poplar Diseases revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Poplar bacterial blightPhoto by: C.R. Foss Biology Bacterial blight of poplar causes leaf spots, which begin as small, dark, water-soaked spots. Twig dieback and branch or trunk cankers may also occur. Blighted shoots often turn black and appear scorched or burned […]

Poplar: Canker

Poplar: Canker categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Poplar Poplar Diseases revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Canker on willow branchPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Canker of poplar is a fungal disease infecting twigs and branches of all sizes. The fungi enter twigs through wound sites and cause development of sunken, circular, brown cankers in the bark. Branch cankers […]

Poplar: Leaf and shoot blight

Poplar: Leaf and shoot blight categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Poplar Poplar Diseases revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Poplar leaf and shoot blightPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Leaf and shoot blight is a fungal disease which affects poplars, aspens, and willows. The fungus infects succulent leaves and twigs. Mature plant tissues are resistant. Initial symptoms include the […]

Poplar: Leaf blister

Poplar: Leaf blister categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Poplar Poplar Diseases revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Poplar leaf blisterPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Leaf blister is a fungal disease which infects the leaves of poplars. Leaves develop small to large yellow-green blisters or mounds on the upper surface. Severely infected leaves may be distorted. The undersides of […]

Poplar: Leaf rust

Poplar: Leaf rust categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Poplar Poplar Diseases revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Poplar rustPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Rusts of poplar are fungal diseases which usually require alternate hosts to complete their life cycle. They overwinter on the poplar leaves, then infect the alternate host in the spring (alternate hosts include pines, larch, […]

Poplar: Carpenterworm

Poplar: Carpenterworm categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Poplar Poplar Insects revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Carpenterworm larval minePhoto by: Unknown Biology Carpenterworms are the larvae of a mottled gray and black moth. The caterpillars are white to pinkish-red with a dark head and 1″ to 3″ long when mature. They bore in the trunk and main branches […]

Poplar: Oystershell scale

Poplar: Oystershell scale categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Poplar Poplar Insects revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Severe oystershell scale infestation on twigPhoto by: Unknown Biology Oystershell scales are usually found on trunks, branches, and twigs. They occur infrequently on the leaves. Immature scales, or crawlers, are yellowish to white. They are typically present around June. Crawlers develop […]

Poplar: Poplar petiole gall aphids

Poplar: Poplar petiole gall aphids categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Poplar Poplar Insects revision date: 2022-12-05 12:00 Poplar petiole gall aphidPhoto by: A.L. Antonelli Biology Aphids which cause galling of the leaf stem (petiole) are small, soft-bodied insects. The females lay eggs on tree bark in the fall. The eggs hatch in the spring, and the […]

Poplar: Poplar-and-willow borer

Poplar: Poplar-and-willow borer categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Poplar Poplar Insects revision date: 2022-11-29 12:00 Poplar-and-willow borer adult Biology The adult poplar-and-willow borer is a black and white weevil (a flightless beetle) about 3/8″ long. The larvae are white, legless, and about 1/4″ long at maturity. They feed by mining beneath the bark of trunk and […]

Poplar: Satin moth

Poplar: Satin moth categories: Ornamental trees Ornamentals Poplar Poplar Insects revision date: 2023-04-12 12:00 Satin mothPhoto by: A.L. Antonelli Biology The caterpillars of the satin moth feed on leaves of poplars and willows. They may also occasionally attack oak and aspen. The adult moth is satiny and pure white, with a wingspan of 1 1/2″ […]