Brown Spots on Hydrangea Leaves
Hydrangeas, with their attractive green leaves and clusters of flowers, grow relatively easily in most warm climates. The plants do, however, sometimes get brown spots on their leaves. These spots indicate a bacterial or fungal disease.
Identification
Cercospora leaf spot shows up as 1/4- to 1/8-inch brown or purplish spots on hydrangea leaves, and the spots eventually turn tan or gray in the center. Brown anthracnose spots are as large as an inch across and develop a bulls-eye appearance with rings of lighter and darker coloring. Bacterial leaf spot shows up as irregular reddish-brown spots that eventually spread into large patches of dead tissue.
Effects
All of these brown leaf spot diseases damage the leaves and reduce the amount of photosynthesis they can perform. Very severe infections can cause foliage drop and harm the overall health of the hydrangea plant.
Prevention/Solution
Fungi and bacteria that cause brown spots on hydrangea leaves spread from fallen diseased leaves or pruned parts of diseased plants; therefore, gardeners should remove infected plant parts from the garden areas surrounding healthy plants. The Alabama Cooperative Extension Service also recommends reducing the moisture on plant foliage by watering at the roots and fungicides as ways to get rid of fungal spots. Michigan State University suggests pruning infected plant parts to prevent infections from spreading.
- Cercospora leaf spot shows up as 1/4- to 1/8-inch brown or purplish spots on hydrangea leaves, and the spots eventually turn tan or gray in the center.
- The Alabama Cooperative Extension Service also recommends reducing the moisture on plant foliage by watering at the roots and fungicides as ways to get rid of fungal spots.
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Writer Bio
Lisa Chinn developed her research skills while working at a research university library. She writes for numerous publications, specializing in gardening, home care, wellness, copywriting, style and travel. Chinn also designs marketing materials, holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology and is working toward a PhD in cognitive neuroscience.
