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Japanese leaf issue, disease?

firefightergardener

12 years ago

Hello, I am a collector of Japanese maples and have many varieties. This Spring a few of my 'bright red/pink' varieties have leafed out and recently started have some black/shriveling leaves. These photos are from two trees. One has normal leaves over 90% of it and a few branches suffering from this. The other tree has it largely all over, entirely at the tips of the branches.

Any guesses? Is this a bad/contagious disease or just winter/frost damage?

While we've had very few late 'frosts'(nothing under 30 in 2 months), we've had very cool, wet weather all Spring. These maples were 100% fine last year - nothing like this.

Thanks in advance!

-Will

Normal leaves.

The diseased/damaged ones. Blackened and shrivelling.

-Will

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Comments (6)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
12 years ago
Cold damage :-) Bremerton registered a low of 30F just last week, Will....you may have had lower temps than you thought.

FWIW, I just saw a 'Wilson's Pink Dwarf' on Bainbridge today that looked waaay worse than yours! If foliage really badly affected, they will fall off and releaf.
firefightergardener
Original Author
12 years ago
To be honest, I really hope you're right because that is a relief. Strangely, only my 'Shin Deshojo' maples, every single one of my other maples looks perfect. Who'da thunk it.

One thing to note there, Bremerton's weather is usually kept at the Airport, in a bit of a microclimate there(400' or so elevation). At least at my own house, the lowest temp per my digital meter was 34. We have had a lot of wind though too(do plants feel wind-chill?).

Thanks for the response! :)

-Will
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houzi
12 years ago
Firefighter,I'm surprised you haven't experienced this before,you've been very lucky.Looks absolutely nothing to worry about,the first leaves are very delicate when they emerge..you can see that.It's just wind/sun damage.Usually I get a few maples shrivelled just like yours,wind is usually the culprit though this year the sun has contributed as well and caught a more sheltered maple.It's often on the most exposed parts of the plant but I've had small maples almost completely shrivelled.It is frustrating,spoils the spring show and obviously will take a bit of time to re-leaf these parts,however there'll be no pernament damage.If it bothers you too much you could move/shelter it next year but the bigger they get,the more resistant they become.My large 'Shindeshojo'survived a lot better than my small one,some leaves didn't get a chance to emerge,however it's pushing out more bright red leaves now:)
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
12 years ago
For some reason, the pinky-leafed cultivars - the Corallinum Group - tend to be more prone to late cold damage - the 'Shin Deshojo's, the 'Corallinum's, the 'Wilson's Pink's, etc. - than most other cultivars. A lot of the reticulated forms ('Aka Shigitatsu Sawa', 'Peaches and Cream, many of the 'Ghost' series) will experience this as well. I think the emerging new leaf tissue is just a bit more fragile and delicate than with other types.

We had to pull all the Corallinums at the nursery for just this reason - they looked terrible. We'll nurse them for a month or two until they releaf and then they'll be fine.
firefightergardener
Original Author
12 years ago
Certainly it has been a miserable Spring. I've noticed very *minor* issues like this before but nothing as widespread. It is completely limited to these delicate Pink/Red leafed types, so perhaps they are just as Gardengal suggested, more tender.

Thanks ladies/folks for the help and the reassuring shoulder!

-Will
Gardening
7 years ago
Hello firefightergardener, I am a picture editor for a gardening magazine and we would be interested in using your photos in our next issue. Please message me for further info.

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