Is our cherry tree dead? - Ask Extension
We have a single dark cherry tree in our small back yard in Albany, Oregon (Linn County). Last year we had an abundance of wonderful cherries. This ...
Knowledgebase
Is our cherry tree dead? #931840
Asked May 15, 2026, 2:45 PM EDT
We have a single dark cherry tree in our small back yard in Albany, Oregon (Linn County). Last year we had an abundance of wonderful cherries. This year, the tree was full of blossoms and we expected another good crop, but after the blossoms fell off, we noticed there were very few leaves on the tree and no cherries have formed. It looks like the blossoms just dried up. Photos attached. What could have caused this and is there anything we can do now?
Linn County Oregon
Expert Response
Dear Don,
Unfortunately your tree looks like it is fully infected with brown rot. I will attach a link below for you to read about it and take action as you see fit - pruning, spraying or taking the tree down.
This has probably been coming on for a few years. We had several trees that we thought were fine. They set fruit throughout the trees and all rotted seemingly overnight.
There are cultivars that may be more resistant than others however, I am told that this disease is the reason farmers stopped planting cherry groves in Oregon.
You can Google 'cherry resistant to fungal diseases to find the varieties.
If you decide to use a fungicide listed in the link I would look at the organic sulfur fungicides.
When spraying any fungicide please wear a hat, hazard glasses, long sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves and spray on a windless day above 40 degrees but not hotter than 75-80 degrees. Follow all instructions on the label. Too much fungicide does not help the tree, measure as directed.
Here is the link:
https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/brown-rot-stone-fruit
Unfortunately your tree looks like it is fully infected with brown rot. I will attach a link below for you to read about it and take action as you see fit - pruning, spraying or taking the tree down.
This has probably been coming on for a few years. We had several trees that we thought were fine. They set fruit throughout the trees and all rotted seemingly overnight.
There are cultivars that may be more resistant than others however, I am told that this disease is the reason farmers stopped planting cherry groves in Oregon.
You can Google 'cherry resistant to fungal diseases to find the varieties.
If you decide to use a fungicide listed in the link I would look at the organic sulfur fungicides.
When spraying any fungicide please wear a hat, hazard glasses, long sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves and spray on a windless day above 40 degrees but not hotter than 75-80 degrees. Follow all instructions on the label. Too much fungicide does not help the tree, measure as directed.
Here is the link:
https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/brown-rot-stone-fruit
