Blue spruce canker

Spruce - Phomopsis Canker

Branch dieback in spruce can have many causes such as the generalized dieback we see as roots fail from root rot or various root injuries. Cytospora canker is a very well-known disease of spruce, particularly blue spruce (Picea pungens). A dead branch in a spruce is often attributed to Cytospora but that is not always the case as was evident in a recent blue spruce sample.

 

Look closely at the dying branch. Trace the dead and dying tissue back to where it transitions to healthy. Carefully scrape the bark at that transition looking for discoloration of the...

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Authors
Nancy J. Taylor