Sick Witch hazel

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Timbasky Tillson, NY Jun 27, 2021

My witch hazel has been growing and healthy for several years. There is always some little sprouts growing at the base which I prune back while they are still small. This year, however, the sprouts are coming up with red leaves instead of the usual green. Can anyone tell me why this is happening? Also, it looks like there is some kind of disease affecting the leaves. It’s happening most heavily on the side in the most shade. In the last picture you can see the healthy side is also beginning to get spots. What is this disease and what can I do to help my witch hazel?

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Timbasky Tillson, NY Jun 30, 2021

I’d love some help with this!

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ViburnumValley Scott County, KY(Zone 5b) Jun 30, 2021

Keep pruning off the suckering sprouts at the base, regardless of their foliage color expressed.

Your leaf malady is likely one of the Anthracnose clan, which often ephemerally afflicts woody plant foliage during periods of wet weather. It will damage some leaves, but generally is not a long term problem. To the extent you can accomplish some work, here are a few positive things you can do.

Prune off and put in the trash any totally dead leaves. Don't compost them or pitch off to the side, because you want to reduce the presence of any residual from this disease.

Prune your plant for better air circulation (judicious thinning), so that the length of time that leaves will stay wet is reduced. Don't use overhead irrigation, as that will exacerbate this existing problem.

In fall, clean up all these leaves and dispose of similarly to reduce any residual disease organisms.

https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/phyllosticta-leaf-blotch

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Timbasky Tillson, NY Jul 11, 2021

Thanks!

Do you have any idea why the suckers this year area red?

This message was edited Jul 11, 2021 3:43 PM

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ViburnumValley Scott County, KY(Zone 5b) Jul 15, 2021

That isn't out of the ordinary. It likely has to do with the rapidity (or lack of it) of the growth of the suckering stem. These leaves typically will "green up" as they mature.

Don't let them mature! They are simply robbing resources from the main part of your plant which you wish to succeed.

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