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The Daily Insight

What is killing wild cherry trees?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jun 01, 2026

What is killing wild cherry trees?

A lot of Black cherry (Prunus Serotina) are dying as a result of Black Knot, a type of disease that creates a bulge on branches, and the eastern tent catapillar can also cause mortal injury to black cherry trees. The most common disease is Cherry Leaf Spot.

Why are my cherry trees dying?

Cherry trees typically start to die because of improper watering, environmental stress, a lack of nutrients, or disease. However, the two most common issues are overwatering and environmental stress—such as temperature swings or transplant shock. Once the source of stress is reduced, the tree should recover.

How can I revive my cherry tree?

Once a cherry tree has been infected by it, there is little to nothing that can be done to revive the tree. Other cherry tree diseases like black knot fungus are best treated by cutting off the infected branches as early as possible, to avoid its spread to other parts of the tree.

Are there any diseases that can harm cherry trees?

What’s not so exciting for lovers of the blossoms and their sweet fruit is the threat of cherry tree diseases. Such pathogens can harm an entire orchard of cherry trees, putting a full halt to any charming blossoms or juicy fruit.

How to tell if a cherry tree is a wild cherry?

The black bark of an established wild cherry is easily visible in the winter months, standing out among the other trees in the woods or fields. The young wild cherry tree possesses bark with horizontal line on it called lenticels. Check the wild cherry tree for its fruit, which ripens to maturity by August.

What to do if your cherry tree is sick?

When a cherry tree looks sick, a wise gardener wastes no time in trying to figure out what is wrong. Many cherry tree diseases get worse if untreated, and some can even prove lethal. Fortunately, it usually isn’t too hard to diagnose the problem. The common cherry tree diseases have recognizable symptoms.

What are the symptoms of rot on a cherry tree?

It only infects the tree if the moisture level of the soil is very high, like when the tree grows in standing water. Symptoms of rot diseases include slowed growth, discolored leaves that wilt quickly in hot weather, dieback and sudden plant death.

How can you tell if a cherry tree has a disease?

Recognize it by the cankers that often ooze sap. Prune off these limbs at least 4 inches (10 cm.) below the diseased wood. Coryneum blight, or shot hole, causes dark spots on emerging leaves and young twigs. If cherry fruit is infected, it develops reddish bumps. Prune away all diseased parts of the tree.

What kind of poison does a cherry tree have?

Wild cherry trees leaves and twigs contain prunasin, a cyanide known prussic acid that when ingested, can be fatal. The poison becomes a threat when the leaves are exposed to stress that causes them to wilt; wilting breaks down the prunasin and releases the cyanide. Cattle and horses are the main victims of poisoning.

What should I do if my cherry tree is infected?

If cherry fruit is infected, it develops reddish bumps. Prune away all diseased parts of the tree. This disease can often be prevented by taking care not to let irrigation water touch the tree leaves. For severe infections, apply copper spray at 50 percent leaf drop.

What causes dark spots on leaves of cherry tree?

Coryneum blight, or shot hole, causes dark spots on emerging leaves and young twigs. If cherry fruit is infected, it develops reddish bumps. Prune away all diseased parts of the tree.