Bush cherry disease (Nanking)? - Ask Extension
What's wrong with my bush cherry? I have 2 side by side. They are about 5 years old. They both flower heavily in March and then leaf out and then in A...
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Bush cherry disease (Nanking)? #897792
Asked April 18, 2025, 1:46 PM EDT
What's wrong with my bush cherry? I have 2 side by side. They are about 5 years old. They both flower heavily in March and then leaf out and then in April one of them has a large number of the leaves die. They both produced fruit last year.
Last year I just trimmed back the branches with the dead leaves in April this but this year it's most of the bush. Last year the second one didn't have any dead leaves that I recall, this year a few branches on the second one have seemingly dead leaves now too. They sort of just wilt and then dry up.
I live in Portland Oregon. The bush cherries are in my tree lawn in morning shade and afternoon full sun. The bush with more dead leaves is in more direct sun than the other (it is due west of the other).
In the summer they are watered by irrigation.
Thank you!
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi and thanks for your question about your bush cherry, also known as Western Sandcherry. Since the first plant seems to have died and the second plant is on its way, I'm guessing you may have a root rot, probably from improper watering.
Plants can actually get too much water, and the bush cherry probably does not need as much water as you are giving your lawn. The bark does not look healthy and with so many leaves dying, I'm not very hopeful the plant will be able to recover. You can try raking up all fallen leaves and branches, pruning off anything that looks dead and cutting back on the irrigation to see if the plant revives. If it is a soil borne disease, you may want to be thinking about what plant you can replace them with that will need the same amount of water as your irrigation system supplies this area.
Sorry it's not better news,
Plants can actually get too much water, and the bush cherry probably does not need as much water as you are giving your lawn. The bark does not look healthy and with so many leaves dying, I'm not very hopeful the plant will be able to recover. You can try raking up all fallen leaves and branches, pruning off anything that looks dead and cutting back on the irrigation to see if the plant revives. If it is a soil borne disease, you may want to be thinking about what plant you can replace them with that will need the same amount of water as your irrigation system supplies this area.
Sorry it's not better news,
Hi.
Thanks so much for your prompt reply but I suspect it is not accurate. Neither plant is dead or even dying. I'm think this is more like brown rot blossom blight.
Look closely at the photo I included of the infected blossom in particular.
Would more pics of any particular part of the bushes help with the ID?
Warmly,
Jessica
Jessica
Hi again Jessica- Ok, here's what I see in your pictures:
-All the blossoms died at once as I see no healthy blooms (a freeze?)
- The lower, older stems have lots of cracks, splits and peeling bark, not a healthy sign in prunus genus
- The leaves look sparse, wrinkled and droopy
- There are a lot of dead leaves on the ground
Here are a couple of websites with possible diagnoses. Cherries (prunus species) have sooooo many diseases it is hard to make a diagnosis over the internet. You can try bringing a sample into one of the Extension offices (Clackamas or Washington counties) to see if they can put the blossoms under a microscope but call first to see if someone is available.
https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/cherry-flowering-prunus-spp-brown-rot-blossom-blight
https://www.canr.msu.edu/ipm/diseases/bacterial_canker_blossom_blast?language_id=#gallery
The only thing I can recommend is pruning in the summer rather than spring or fall (bacteria is less active then) and cleaning up the dead leaves and branches under the bushes.
Once you get a for-sure diagnosis there may be some chemical applications as well.
Good luck!
-All the blossoms died at once as I see no healthy blooms (a freeze?)
- The lower, older stems have lots of cracks, splits and peeling bark, not a healthy sign in prunus genus
- The leaves look sparse, wrinkled and droopy
- There are a lot of dead leaves on the ground
Here are a couple of websites with possible diagnoses. Cherries (prunus species) have sooooo many diseases it is hard to make a diagnosis over the internet. You can try bringing a sample into one of the Extension offices (Clackamas or Washington counties) to see if they can put the blossoms under a microscope but call first to see if someone is available.
https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/cherry-flowering-prunus-spp-brown-rot-blossom-blight
https://www.canr.msu.edu/ipm/diseases/bacterial_canker_blossom_blast?language_id=#gallery
The only thing I can recommend is pruning in the summer rather than spring or fall (bacteria is less active then) and cleaning up the dead leaves and branches under the bushes.
Once you get a for-sure diagnosis there may be some chemical applications as well.
Good luck!
Many thanks. I appreciate your sharing your knowledge.
