Hello, Paula!

Those spots on your redbud leaves are likely caused by a common fungus called Cercospora Leaf Spot. This is frequently seen late in the season after a summer of high heat and humidity – like we have seen these last few months - and usually only appear so late in the season. Symptoms include round or angled gray to brown spots of varying sizes, often with a dark border on the leaf surface. Leaves can become brown and experience an earlier than normal leaf drop. One of the best strategies for treatment is good gardening sanitation to minimize overwintering the fungal spores: clean up any fallen leaves and put in trash, remove any low hanging spotted leaves, clean garden tools after use. Also, if you use a sprinkler system, make sure that the tree and foliage are not being watered.

Again, disease management is generally not warranted, but there are some fungicides available to help manage Cercospora leaf spot. If you should ever find the need to treat your tree, because of its size it is recommended to contact a certified arborist. Here is a link to locate one in your area: https://www.treesaregood.org

Wishing you and your tree the very best! Thank you for your Ask Extension question!

On Friday, October 17, 2025, 10:41 AM, Ask Extension wrote:

Glad to help!