Unknown leaf issue

Indagrow

Well-Known Member
Mothers house has a large tree by her back entrance. She is about a quarter mile from the ocean, house is new to her but I don't remember this issue on the walk around. anyone have any idea what these yellow spots could be attributed to?
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Unclebaldrick

Well-Known Member
Mothers house has a large tree by her back entrance. She is about a quarter mile from the ocean, house is new to her but I don't remember this issue on the walk around. anyone have any idea what these yellow spots could be attributed to?
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Yeah, I have nothing like a comprehensive disease guide in my head but the first thing I would look for are gall wasps. That'll tell you if it is basically harmless or not. You can usually tell gall wasps because they form a blister on the underside of the leaf at the yellow area. But, it isn't usually a sign of poor health and is usually not very harmful to the plant. It is more about the number of gall wasps running around than the plant's health. They are opportunistic and will hit any plant with the right cellular structure.

Once you determine that it isn't a gall wasp, the fun really begins. In my experience it is usually a fungus but it could also be a bacteria or virus. The latter two tend to be very species specific so finding out exactly what plant you are dealing with is a good starting point. If it is a fungus, they usually get treated the same way. Viruses and bacteria ... Well, you are usually just fucked.

But my knowledge (such that it is) is based more on interest in epidemiology and invasive species than general biology. Which is to say that it isn't very broad knowledge.

@Indagrow , check for the gall wasps (hundreds of species of them) and if there are no blisters (actually a little pouch to protect the hatchlings) then identify the species of tree and start to look for common diseases that affect that species.

I have seen tons of this stuff all over this year on a wide variety of plants - this makes me think that it is weather related (especially humidity). My guess is that if it is, it will not kill the plant - it will just weaken it a bit and probably be gone next year.
 
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