Our Standard started dropping it's leaves about 3 days ago. The affected leaves have turned a brilliant red and they just fall off. Not all the leaves have turned red (yet!). I've noticed some ants on the branches, but not a lot..i sprayed with insecticide just in case they are the cause but i'm not so sure. Inch-worms started preying on it in the early summer, but i caught them in time and the tree held up royally after that. Then the leaves started getting small darker purple spots about 3 weeks ago...but it gets those every year so i'm not worried about those either. The early dropping is very different behaviour. The tree is in a full-sun spot with plenty of excellent soil and wind protection. Our zone 6b summer has been unusually wet and cool, might that bring about the early autumn behaviour?
early leaf drop with normal fall discoloration is usually a sign of hot, dry summers. I doubt the cause is insects so the spray application was probably not of much use. Purple coloring on a leaf can be indicative of nutrient deficiency (Mg, Mn) or it can be a fungus issue. Seeing as how you have had a fairly wet, cool summer it may still be a sign of early dormancy but it is unusual at the least. If you have any pictures of the discoloration please post them, perhaps they will shed more light on the subject.
Purple Leaf Sandcherry dropping leaves early - pix Thanks for getting back to me so soon, jimmyq. I hope my pictures get posted properly...one is a picture of the whole tree...very healthy and surrounded by healthy plants. The other is a close up of some bright red -early changing leaves amidst healthy ones. As i tried to get a good angle, i noticed most of the affected leaves were at the "back" of the tree, closest to the deck. Before this weekend, i pruned a spirea back there, maybe it was blocking some air from the Standard? Anyway, thanks so much for checking this out...vc
I am looking at the second picture, the close up , and I see what looks like canker prolems along the stems.
Hi again..yes the stems do look strange but i can tell you what's happening there. The tree grew quite quickly this year! The bark at the base of the branches above the standard graft, stretched and split - and the branches have grown quite thick since. The silver grey bark is the true outer bark and the brown parts that you see is the innerbark. The inner, brown bark is quite hardy, not soft at all. There are no holes in it, no evidence that bugs have gotten in and no flaking or peeling. The standard trunk (no idea what that is) also has "stretch marks" but it hasn't split. There's a very substantive hedge that protects it from wind, so i didn't stake it. I fertilized it at the end of June with a slow release granular fertilizer - lasts for 4 months (maybe less with all the rain, but there are still pellets on the ground). I haven't pruned it either - we went on vacation right after it flowered and i was told that this shrub must be pruned immediately after flowering ONLY...so i skipped it altogether. The flowers were amazing, by the way...very plentiful and very fragrant. Yes, there are spots on the leaves - dark purple spots - but they were there every year. I sprayed a fungicide on it about 2 weeks ago (which was washed off in the rain within a day or two). And, there are bits and bites taken out of some of the leaves - but nothing outrageous - these are the evidence of the early inch-worms, nothing new since. In every way it's very healthy...except that it's behaving like mid October in mid August. I investigated some websites but found nothing...except some scary notes that these are "short lived" shrubs. How "short lived" are they?
Have a look here and see what you think; http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/tfipm/anthracnose.htm and here; http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/tfipm/european.htm
Hi. Thanks for those websites! Very informative. I checked the branches and they don't look like the ones in the pictures...my digital camera is on it's way to Hong Kong with my hubby, so i can't take any more pictures for a while. There are lots of differences between the snaps and my tree but maybe Sandcherry canker behaves differently than apples. I'll keep an eye on it for the little spores- nothing there now, all the bark is even and there's no size reduction. Some of the underbark is starting to turn grey - so there's hope. It's just very weird..like the summer. Here it is the middle of August and 20C degrees - i wouldn't be too shocked if the plantworld started to believe it really WAS fall!
Scorching of leaves in closeup suggests cultural problem, such as period of hot, dry weather or drying out of root zone. Check soil moisture, it also looks like it hasn' been making much new growth lately, another sign of soil drying.
Searching for Purple Plant Dear Reader, I am searching for this plant it is a green leafy plant but on the plant it has like a purple fuz on it, someone told me they think it is called a "Purple Passion". Well I can not find this plant or know what the correct name is. If anybody knows what plant i am talking about or can help me i would greatly appreciate it, i loved that plant. You can contact me by e-mailing me at rachelannk@yahoo.com. Thanks again for your help Rachel