Trees are living organisms which means that they are predisposed to diseases much like every other living thing. The diseases are mainly caused by bacteria and fungi, and the damages caused to the trees are usually very devastating and in severe cases, cause the death of the tree. In fact trees never die of old age, and given a pathogen free environment where they would be immune to mechanical damage from insects and people, they would leave for centuries on end. But that kind of immunity is impossible to find and trees end up being sickly and diseased. Some of these common diseases are addressed below.
Rhododendron bud blast is a fungal infection affecting trees that is characterized by the failure of buds to open up and bloom. They remain in their enclosure and end up drying out with time. Once the disease has manifested itself, little can be done to salvage it. Prevention is the best approach here by keeping the leafhoppers at bay which are the vectors for the fungi causing the disease.
Powdery mildew is another common tree disease that affects most tree species. It is characterized by a white overgrowth on the surface of leaves. It is observed in the areas where humidity levels are high, so it’s usually a recorded problem mostly in the winter months and not during the mid-summer sun as the humidity is at an all time low. It’s a fungal infection as well
Annosus root rot is a common disease with conifers in the temperate regions of the world. It enters the tree via any exposed parts, like a recently cut stump. It spreads quickly and usually forms conks at the areas of entry, and it does not really matter whether the part is made of living or dead tissue. Most conifers are unable to recover from the infection.
Sooty mold is a dark growth on the surface of leaves. It’s mostly observed in those plants with honeydew remnants of insects, more so aphids. The sooty mold does not directly affect the plant as it’s simply interested in the honeydew and not the plant.
Common mistletoe is also well documented about, and affects fruiting trees like apples and lime. It finds a home on the branches and gets nutrients via the xylem cells. Once settled in, it bares white berries which have a characteristic of sticking. The good news is that it hardly affects the tree; though invading the xylem vessels can leave the host plant weak.
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