Beech leaf disease - Ask Extension
I was wondering if this is beech leaf disease. I have a row of fastigate purple European beeches and I bought a beech tree mail order a couple years a...
Knowledgebase
Beech leaf disease #873827
Asked June 19, 2024, 5:10 PM EDT
I was wondering if this is beech leaf disease. I have a row of fastigate purple European beeches and I bought a beech tree mail order a couple years ago that was diseased and I think it spread to the rest of them. The first two pictures are of leaves with rippling and puckering that I am worried about and the third picture is how the leaves normally appear.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
We don't see the characteristic traits of Beech Leaf Disease (BLD) in the photos, but you would need to look at the leaves backlit (hold them up to the sky) to see if the dark banding is present. Leaf distortion can be a symptom of BLD, but by itself it is not diagnostic, and beech trees can contract a handful of pest and disease issues (not all of them serious) that might have overlapping or similar symptoms, including leaf puckering or rippling.
You can use the information on the linked page above to see if the dark banding between the veins is present. You can also have a certified arborist assess the trees in person to try to diagnose the issue, if dieback is occurring. If testing is needed to confirm suspected BLD, they can send samples to an area plant diagnostic lab (or some tree companies might have their own pathology lab).
Miri
You can use the information on the linked page above to see if the dark banding between the veins is present. You can also have a certified arborist assess the trees in person to try to diagnose the issue, if dieback is occurring. If testing is needed to confirm suspected BLD, they can send samples to an area plant diagnostic lab (or some tree companies might have their own pathology lab).
Miri
