Fire Blight

What it looks like

Flowers, shoots, and leaves turn black as if scorched by fire. You may see watery tan ooze on affected wood, and shoot tips often curl over into a shepherd's-crook shape. It's a bacterial problem, not a fungus.

Often mistaken for: Frost damage or general dieback from other causes

When it shows up in the Triangle

Shows up most during warm, wet spring weather right around bloom time. Heavy nitrogen feeding makes plants more susceptible by pushing soft, succulent growth.

Where you’ll see it

Affects rose-family ornamentals like pyracantha, flowering pear, crabapple, cotoneaster, hawthorn, quince, and spirea.

What you can do

• Choose fire-blight-resistant varieties when planting or replacing shrubs/trees
• Prune out infected wood, cutting well below the visible symptoms
• Only prune on dry days to avoid spreading bacteria
• Disinfect pruning tools between cuts
• Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizing, which encourages the soft growth this disease loves
• Remove and destroy infected prunings rather than composting them