T
The Daily Insight

How do you treat brown spots on Ligustrum?

Author

Christopher Pierce

Published May 27, 2026

How do you treat brown spots on Ligustrum?

The best control is to spot-kill this weed and nearby turf with Roundup or similar nonselective herbicide that allows resodding shortly after use. It’s also best to remove the debris when the affected sections decline, and then wait a few weeks for more Bermuda grass sprigs to grow and retreat.

How do you treat Ligustrum fungus?

Spray or dust with a copper fungicide recommended for general use on ornamental plants being careful to cover the underside of the leaves. Add a spreader-sticker to the spray. Leaf Spots (fungi – Exosporium concentricum, Cercospora adusta, Phyllosticta ovalifolii): Brown or dark colored spots occur on the leaf.

How do you treat privet fungus?

Control of Armillaria depends on removing all wood, dead and alive, from the soil. In addition, the fungus is completely intolerant of drying, so the chances of spreading the fungus to uninfected plants will be reduced by thorough drying of wood chips and leaf mold before using them as a mulch or amendment.

What is the lifespan of Ligustrum?

Our ligustrum shrubs (trees) are close to 50 years old.

Why is my Ligustrum dying?

Ligustrum trees infected with phymatotrichum root rot have little chance for survival. This root rot causes the breakdown of the tree’s vascular system, which prevents the transport of nutrients and water throughout the tree. The infected tree experiences browning and wilting of the foliage, dieback and growth stunt.

What causes brown spots on Ligustrum leaves?

The Cercospora fungus causes marginal leaf spotting on Ligustrum shrubs. The spots start out as small, yellow circles that grow and eventually turn brown. As the fungus spreads and more leaves die and fall from the bush, the plant loses its ability to convert nutrients from sunlight and dies.

How do I get rid of honey fungus?

There are no chemicals available for control of honey fungus. If honey fungus is confirmed, the only effective remedy is to excavate and destroy, by burning or landfill, all of the infected root and stump material.

Will Jeyes fluid kill honey fungus?

Honey fungus, or Armillaria mellea, is a parasitic fungus that damages and kills the roots of many trees and shrubs causing the plant to die. Here’s a more detailed answer to whether Armillatox and Jeyes Fluid are really harmful to your plants: Jeyes Fluid does not kill your plants and neither will Armillatox.

How do you get rid of dark spots on leaves?

Add a dash of horticultural oil or horticultural soap and Voila! You have a method of treating black leaf spot that works by changing the pH on the leaf surface to one the fungus can’t survive. The oil or soap makes the solution stick and the cost is around four cents a gallon.

Why is my ligustrum dying?

Why are the leaves on my Ligustrum turning brown?

Identification. The Cercospora fungus causes marginal leaf spotting on Ligustrum shrubs. The spots start out as small, yellow circles that grow and eventually turn brown. The spots start out on the outer edges of the leaves and progress inward, killing the leaves. As the fungus spreads and more leaves die and fall from the bush,…

How to get rid of Ligustrum leaf spot?

The spores they produce are wind blown or carried in splashing water to infect new leaves. Management: Remove fallen leaves from beneath the plants. Avoid overhead irrigation, or water in the early morning hours so that the foliage dries before nightfall.

Are there any green shoots on my Ligustrum shrubs?

They looked like dead sticks when I planted them. It’s now late May and some are now starting to show signs of life; however, there is only green shoots on 6 out of the 29 so far. The other 23 still look like dead sticks. I am looking after them well and the ones showing green shoots are not all in one spot – they are spread out.

Why are the leaves on my privet plant turning brown?

When your privet leaves are marred by yellow or brown spots with distinct borders, the smart money’s on Cercospora leaf spot, a common disease of privets.

What to do if Ligustrum leaves turn brown?

Spray or dust with a copper fungicide recommended for general use on ornamental plants being careful to cover the underside of the leaves. Add a spreader-sticker to the spray. Leaf Spots (fungi – Exosporium concentricum, Cercospora adusta, Phyllosticta ovalifolii ): Brown or dark colored spots occur on the leaf.

What causes the spots on the leaves of Ligustrum?

Cercospora Leaf Spot of Ligustrum. Pathogen: caused by the fungus Cercospora sp. This is a common disease of Ligustrum species. There are two Cercospora species which cause this leaf spot disease. A related species, Pseudocercospora causes similar spots.

They looked like dead sticks when I planted them. It’s now late May and some are now starting to show signs of life; however, there is only green shoots on 6 out of the 29 so far. The other 23 still look like dead sticks. I am looking after them well and the ones showing green shoots are not all in one spot – they are spread out.

What to do about brown spots on leaves?

No matter how diligent you are, the day will come when those tiny brown circles on the leaves of your plant so it’s important to know how to treat leaf spot fungus. As soon as you see plant leaf spots, treatment begins. For houseplants, isolate the pot immediately to prevent the fungus from spreading. Remove any leaf that has been affected.