Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> About Gardening

Common Leaf Spot Diseases on Sweetgum, Maple, and Poplar

Your sweetgum likely has sweetgum anthracnose (Gloeosporium nervisequum) or Cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora liquidambaris). Similar fungi affect maple, poplar, and flowering cherry. Hot, humid weather triggers outbreaks. These diseases are unsightly but rarely kill mature trees.

About Gardening: Maple Leaf Galls: Insect Galls, Systemic Control Optional; Poplar Copper Nails & Fir Topping: Stop Deep Fertilizing, No Wound Paint; Poplar Leaf Spot: Fungus, Not Insects—Sanitation + Fungicide; Japanese Maple Leaf Spots: Phyllosticta Fungus — Mostly Cosmetic; Maple Trees: Species Diversity, Uses, and Landscape Value; Cleyera Decline: Shade and Pruning Invite Leaf Spot; Silver Maple Misidentified as Sugar Maple: Leaf Spot Issues; Managing Iris Leaf Spot: Identification and Control; Maple Anthracnose: Rake Leaves, No Spray Needed; Summer Leaf Drop on Maple, Poplar, and Sweetgum: Causes and Solutions

Garden Articles

Indian Hawthorn Leaf Spot and Chlorosis: Dual Diagnosis and Treatment

Maple Anthracnose: Brown Veinal Discoloration—Cultural and Chemical Control

Bark Peeling on Mature Japanese Maple: Sunscald or Something Else?

Peace Lily Leaf Spots: Diagnosing and Correcting Cultural Issues

Maple Tree Fall Color: 'Legacy' Sugar Maple or 'Autumn Blaze'

Cercospora Leaf Spot on Cherrylaurel: Shade and Moisture Issues

Oak Leaf Miner Damage: Identification and Cleanup

Plants

Entomosporium Leaf Spot on Photinia and Indian Hawthorn

Maple Leaf Galls: Identify Before Replacing Tree

Brown Spot on Phalaenopsis Leaf: Bacterial Infection Emergency Response

Maple Leaf Spot: Phyllosticta Diagnosis and Management

Identifying a Mystery Tree: White or Grey Poplar

Choosing the Right Maple Tree for Your Yard: Root Systems and Fall Color

Maple Tree Pruning: Removing Crossed Branches and Controlling Size