Silver leaf

Symptoms

Single leaves or the foliage on a small number of branches develop a silver sheen.

Cause

A fungus called Chondrostereum purpureum, a parasite that enters through fresh wounds.

Harm

The fungus produces a toxin which causes the upper leaf surface to separate from the main leaf blade and air gets trapped between the layers. As light hits the two layers it causes the leaf to appear silver. The fungus can spread through the tree and infected branches will die off or fail to produce leaves the following year.

Treatment

Unfortunately there is no control available though occasionally mildly affected trees will recover. Infection is less likely to occur during the summer months so trees that are susceptible, such as plums and cherries, should always be pruned then.

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