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| Photo Credit: Sarah L. Ivy |
| Look for signs of Entomosporium leaf spot on your red tip photinias. |
Too bad plants don’t come with “buyer-beware” tags that admit all flaws up front. If they did, we gardeners would know what we’re up against from the beginning, rather than getting surprised by pest problems after we’ve already bought and planted. The plant that inspired my “buyer-beware” theory is the popular landscape shrub, red tip photinia (Photinia x fraseri).
Most affectionately referred to as simply “red tip,” this photinia is often desired as a relatively fast-growing living screen. And as its nickname describes, the plant has brilliant red new growth in spring, as well as beautiful off-white flowers, making it even more popular. When red tip photinia was introduced to the plant industry, its popularity was phenomenal. Homeowners and commercial industry alike incorporated rows and rows of red tips into landscapes to achieve fast-growing, lush screens in a short period of time. But like most “perfect plants,” red tip started showing its true color after a few years. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: James Schutte | | Homeowners like red tips for their colorful new growth and as a fast-growing hedge. |
Aside from some pretty positive physical characteristics, red tips suffer from a life-threatening disease called Entomosporium leaf spot. The disease is caused by the fungus Entomosporium maculatum, and it’s very difficult to control.
Symptoms of Entomosporium leaf spot usually begin on the lower branches of the shrub, and with a little help from splashing rain, the problem eventually spreads its way up to infect the entire plant. Infected young leaves start showing small, circular, bright red spots. Older infected leaves develop spots that are gray in the center with a maroon border. A few spots here and there aren’t really much of a concern, but a severe infection could lead to leaf drop – and even plant death! Treatment for this leaf spot is tricky. Although there are some fungicides that can be used as a preventative spray, once a leaf is infected, there’s no way to “cure” it – you can only hope to contain the spread of the disease. This often makes fungicide applications futile. But the good news is that a mere rake and a pair of pruners may be the answer to keeping your red tips safe from becoming spotted.
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