Some Iowa homeowners may notice the leaves on certain trees are turning yellow or brown and dropping earlier than usual this season. According to the Iowa D-N-R, they could have a fungus called anthracnose (ann-THRAK-nohs), which thrives in wet conditions, like what we’ve had this summer. The disease is affecting black walnut trees at an unusually high rate, but D-N-R forester Mark Vitosh (vih-TOSH) says the fungus is -not- likely to impact a tree’s long-term health.
In addition to walnuts, anthracnose can impact sycamore, ash, maple, oak, walnut, linden, hickory, willows and other deciduous trees. Vitosh says spraying is unnecessary.
A caterpillar is also affecting walnuts in some parts of the state. That, too, is unlikely to cause long-term damage as trees are winding down their growing season. Vitosh made his comments on the Iowa Public Radio program “Talk of Iowa.”
