Is this tree sick? - Ask Extension
Is this tree sick? Can anything be done? Does it need to be removed?
Knowledgebase
Is this tree sick? #909916
Asked July 15, 2025, 11:19 AM EDT
Is this tree sick? Can anything be done? Does it need to be removed?
Baltimore City County Maryland
Expert Response
Plant ID is very important for diagnostics because many plant pests and diseases are host-specific. The foliage pictured looks like that of a Horsechestnut or Buckeye (both in genus Aesculus), so for the information below, that will be our assumption.
Nothing in the pictured symptoms points to a need for tree removal. Plant disease spread and severity greatly depends on weather, with frequent rains in spring or early summer often making outbreaks more prevalent. An outbreak one year won't necessarily result in a similar issue the following year.
The tree pictured appears to have 2 or 3 conditions: powdery mildew (very common in summer on a variety of trees, shrubs, and perennials), a fungal leaf blotch infection, and/or a leaf-mining insect. The latter two conditions can be difficult to distinguish from one another with Aesculus, and we can't see enough detail in the photos to tell which it may be. (That said, a tree can also have both present at the same time.) The pages linked above provide more information.
No treatment for any of those conditions is needed or recommended, as such measures could harm beneficial insects or other wildlife. (Fungicide can't cure existing disease or reverse its damage anyway. It can only protect uninfected growth, and often requires very thorough canopy-covering sprays several times over the course of the season to maintain that protection, which is also not worth the cost for issues that are only cosmetic in nature). While extensive and recurring outbreaks of leaf blotch could weaken an Aesculus tree over time, that does not appear to be the case here, since the symptoms look comparatively minor. (The mildew looks more extensive, even though it too is typically not a serious disease in terms of long-term plant health.)
For tree health concerns, it's always a good idea to consult a certified arborist, but if you don't see indications of canopy decline (dying branches, drastic leaf loss well before autumn), then it's probably not necessary in this situation.
Miri
Nothing in the pictured symptoms points to a need for tree removal. Plant disease spread and severity greatly depends on weather, with frequent rains in spring or early summer often making outbreaks more prevalent. An outbreak one year won't necessarily result in a similar issue the following year.
The tree pictured appears to have 2 or 3 conditions: powdery mildew (very common in summer on a variety of trees, shrubs, and perennials), a fungal leaf blotch infection, and/or a leaf-mining insect. The latter two conditions can be difficult to distinguish from one another with Aesculus, and we can't see enough detail in the photos to tell which it may be. (That said, a tree can also have both present at the same time.) The pages linked above provide more information.
No treatment for any of those conditions is needed or recommended, as such measures could harm beneficial insects or other wildlife. (Fungicide can't cure existing disease or reverse its damage anyway. It can only protect uninfected growth, and often requires very thorough canopy-covering sprays several times over the course of the season to maintain that protection, which is also not worth the cost for issues that are only cosmetic in nature). While extensive and recurring outbreaks of leaf blotch could weaken an Aesculus tree over time, that does not appear to be the case here, since the symptoms look comparatively minor. (The mildew looks more extensive, even though it too is typically not a serious disease in terms of long-term plant health.)
For tree health concerns, it's always a good idea to consult a certified arborist, but if you don't see indications of canopy decline (dying branches, drastic leaf loss well before autumn), then it's probably not necessary in this situation.
Miri
