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Cleveland Pear Sudden Death: Fire Blight or Regional Decline?

Case

Cleveland pear: leaves dead, small limbs brittle. Last year beautiful. Will it return?

Two Scenarios (Steve)

Diagnostic Step

Match symptoms to descriptions. Fire blight = distinct scorched tips. Regional decline = whole-tree premature fall color.

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Scenario	Symptoms	Action
Regional Decline	Purple/red fall color over canopy, leaf drop. No pathogen found. Graft/rootstock issue. Worse in heat/drought.	Water consistently, protect trunk, monitor. May or may not recover.
Fire Blight	Branch tips black/dark brown (scorched), scattered in canopy. Bacterial (Erwinia). Spreads inward in spring rain.	Prune 6–8" into green, sanitize tools every cut, destroy debris.