Heavily spotted cherry tree leaves - Ask Extension
One of our newly planted fruit cherry trees is showing a number of yellow leaves in the past couple of days. The green leaves are also very spotted. I...
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Heavily spotted cherry tree leaves #937147
Asked June 29, 2026, 9:28 AM EDT
One of our newly planted fruit cherry trees is showing a number of yellow leaves in the past couple of days. The green leaves are also very spotted. Is this some type of a fungal infection or something else? We are also dealing with Japanese beetles on our trees and I have asked about that issue in a separate question. Mentioning it here in case these two issues are related.
Please advise! Thank you!
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
This spotting symptom looks like cherry leaf spot (also called shot hole disease), a very common fungal infection in cherries and their relatives. While it's more abundant in years with wetter spring weather, any moisture on the leaf (including dew) can help spores infect the tissues. Unfortunately, the infection can prompt defoliation (the yellowing you're seeing before the leaves fall), and there is no remedy for an infection once symptoms manifest. Any leaves that fall off this summer due to the disease probably will not be replaced this season, so the tree may look more bare for the rest of the year.
In future years, you can discourage infection with preventative fungicide sprays. Most fruit trees grown in Maryland need (or at least benefit from) a yearly spray regimen to apply fungicide and insecticide before pests and diseases get a foothold for the year, in order to both protect overall tree health and to protect the quality of the harvest. Sprays can be organic if you prefer, but those tend to cost more and might require more frequent application. You can learn more about what issues to expect in our Growing Stone Fruits page and the links it includes, such as the Virginia Tech home fruit pest management guide, which outlines spray types and timing for various fruit crops.
For now, rake up and discard fallen leaves so they don't harbor infectious spores for future infections, and monitor the tree for watering needs so the ongoing drought doesn't add to its stress too much.
Miri
In future years, you can discourage infection with preventative fungicide sprays. Most fruit trees grown in Maryland need (or at least benefit from) a yearly spray regimen to apply fungicide and insecticide before pests and diseases get a foothold for the year, in order to both protect overall tree health and to protect the quality of the harvest. Sprays can be organic if you prefer, but those tend to cost more and might require more frequent application. You can learn more about what issues to expect in our Growing Stone Fruits page and the links it includes, such as the Virginia Tech home fruit pest management guide, which outlines spray types and timing for various fruit crops.
For now, rake up and discard fallen leaves so they don't harbor infectious spores for future infections, and monitor the tree for watering needs so the ongoing drought doesn't add to its stress too much.
Miri
