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The Daily Insight

Why are my pear leaves turning black?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jun 03, 2026

Why are my pear leaves turning black?

Pear tree leaves, fruit, twigs and branches can become infected by fungus. Some of the symptoms of fungal infection are black spots on leaves or stems, early leaf drop or curling and blackening of the leaves.

Why is my pear tree leaves dying?

Insects Causing Leaf Damage Coddling moths and borers damage the pear’s bark and fruit, but the pear psylla, a small cicada-like insect causes a black sooty substance on the leaves and eventually causes the leaves to die and drop off.

What causes fruit tree leaves to turn black?

Bacteria, fungal pathogens and insects can cause fruit trees to develop black leaves. Bacterial spot is the result of the bacterium Zanthomonas pruni attacking fruit trees. It typically presents itself as discolored spots on the foliage that begin to blacken and enlarge and can engulf the entire leaf.

Why are the leaves on my Bradford pear tree turning brown?

Don’t assume you need to water a tree more just because it has brown leaves when its foliage would normally be green. In the case of Bradford pear leaves turning black (not yellow or brown), the cause may be fire blight disease, so called because it causes tree parts to turn black.

How to get rid of disease on Pear Tree?

You can control these bugs by applying a horticultural oil spray as directed after buds have formed. Prune out all diseased limbs, branches and leaves when you first notice them to help stop the spread of any kind of pear disease or insect, and sterilize your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol to minimize the spread of the disease or pest.

Why are the leaves on my pear tree drying up?

If the leaves remain on there it’s very likely die-back and will need pruning off immediately to limit further die-back. Hope someone who knows more about training fruit trees can offer more advice. Keep a close eye for dried brittle stems. You will need to prune them back immediately if this happens.

When to prune pear trees to prevent fire blight?

Prune out fire blight cankers in the winter when trees are dormant. Leaves remaining on blighted branches in autumn can indicate trouble spots. If you prune before the sap starts to flow in the spring, you don’t have to sterilize your tools after each cut. Control aphids and pear psylla to prevent them from spreading the disease.

When to remove black spots on Pear Tree?

Prune the pear tree in early spring to remove dead or weak branches that can become hosts for fungal and bacterial diseases. Remove any branches affected by dieback if leaves do exhibit black spots to prevent the disease from spreading.

Why are leaves falling off my pear tree?

Fire blight is a bacterial disease that affects pear trees and other ornamental or fruit trees, especially during warm, wet weather. Fire blight visibly affects leaves. Black spots followed by eventual leaf loss and dieback of the tree indicate fire blight.

Fire blight is a persistent disease that affects ‘Bradford’ Callery pear (and other ornamental pear trees). But it goes after other fruit trees as well like apple, crabapple, quince and hawthorn trees. At first, this is mostly an aesthetic issue, but if it keeps happening year after year, it could kill your tree.

You can control these bugs by applying a horticultural oil spray as directed after buds have formed. Prune out all diseased limbs, branches and leaves when you first notice them to help stop the spread of any kind of pear disease or insect, and sterilize your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol to minimize the spread of the disease or pest.