Cedar-Apple Rust and Fruit Safety: Edible with Spot Removal

Does cedar-apple rust make apples unsafe? My juniper likely infects my apple tree. Peach and pear are unaffected. Black spots on apples.

Fruit Safety

Yes, safe to eat. Cut out affected spots. The fungus (Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae) only infects living tissue—does not produce toxins in fruit flesh.

Likely Not Cedar-Apple Rust

CAR causes bright orange-yellow spots on leaves/fruit with distinctive spore horns. Black spots suggest:

• Bitter rot (Colletotrichum)
• Black rot (Botryosphaeria)
• Sooty blotch / flyspeck (superficial, washable)

Prevention for Next Year

• Fungicide program: Start at pink bud, continue to harvest
• Mancozeb or captan (home orchard standards)
• Sanitation: Remove mummified fruit, prune for air flow
• Juniper removal helps but spores travel miles

Your apples are edible. A spray schedule next spring will improve quality.