There are several shrubs and trees in my front and back yard that are not growing leaves this summer but only small miniature leaves and flowers. The hydrangea is growing round pom pom type growths on the bare branches. I have attached pictures of my hydrangea (2), rose bush, Japanese maple and another tree in my backyard. I am not sure if this is soil related or a virus, but it seems to be taking over my yard and killing my plants/trees.
Hi Jeff,
That is bizarre. Do your neighbors have similar conditions with their plants? The only time I had anything this odd happen in my garden, the culprit was Aster Yellows Disease. Aster Yellows can cause some very weird things, and your photos show some weird stuff.
Obviously you know that your photos are showing up on their side here. My guess is they were taken with a phone, but I can't tell you how to upload phone pictures properly, since I take all of my photos with a camera.
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/diseases/viruses/aster-yellows.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aster_yellows
I suggest you contact your County Extension Agent about this problem.
Any weed killer applied to the bushes? A lot of times a shrub will have very tiny leaves after being sprayed with weed killer.
I agree with off-target effects from some pesticide application.
However, with the American hydrangea craze, you might be able to persuade someone to propagate that pompom style you have going there.
Thanks for the information. I have mosquito service about every 3 weeks that applies a plant friendly spray. Other than that, I've used some weed spray around the yard but I wouldn't have thought that would happen to large trees because of that. I have an arborist coming out this week to look at it so we'll see what they say.
Hydrangeas do not take kindly to pesticides. The pesticide gets to them via winds and causes issues with the leaves. They eventually recover but it may take until Spring 2020. With these miniature leaves, it is unclear how the hydrangeas will behave when the temperatures really get hot. Heat stress usually set in when temps are regularly above 85F and then they wilt, etc. But not sure how they will react with these leaves.
I had an arborist come by today and we think it is the chemical Imazapyr which was in the Ortho GroundClear I used earlier this year (reading the warning label closer, it says not to use it around shrubs and trees). This website shows the same look that my trees have: https://www.bartlett.com/blog/2016/07/tree-advice/using-herbicides-near-trees-and-shrubs
Sorry to hear that...
Me too. I hope the hydrangeas and any others can bounce back. Like the article says, it will be hard to tell how the leaves will loose moisture and do photosynthesis. Keep the soil well mulched and maintain the soil as evenly moist as you practically can during the worst of the summer months. Observe if they are letting more moisture escape than what you are used to. Or maybe they will do less. Hard to say so watch them closely.
At Jeff's expense: Let this be a lesson to anyone using any pesticide whatsoever.
Always read label directions and follow them exactly. Poisoning the environment around you is never a good plan. If you don't understand what is in the product nor how to use it - ask! There are many resources around all of us, free for the asking.
As to the use of "mosquito services", please read this information and consider the impact on yours and every other landscape around you.
https://colinpurrington.com/2018/09/buzz-on-mosquito-sprays/
Target your wrath at what you mean to destroy, instead of simulated nuclear blasts that wipe out everything - to the ultimate detriment of why you have a garden.
