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The Daily Insight

Why is plum tree going brown?

Author

Andrew Ramirez

Published May 22, 2026

Why is plum tree going brown?

Normally only around 50% of the plums are affected. As the plums wither they turn brown and fall off. The disease is caused by the fungus Taphrina pruni and affects plum and damson trees.

How do you know when a plum tree is dying?

Phytophthora root rot will cause a plum tree to wilt and die. The leaves start to become dull and turn into red, green, purple, or yellow. The upper roots start to darken, while the bark starts to show discoloration, both in the outer and inner layers. With this disease, the tree needs good drainage.

How do I get rid of brown rot on my plum tree?

A Remove all infected fruit as soon as you spot them while the crop is ripening. This will help reduce the spread of the fungus. Give plum trees priority, as brown rot can ruin the entire crop. In winter, cut out and burn cankered twigs to reduce the number of disease spores.

How do you treat a diseased plum tree?

Once a tree is infected, there is no treatment and the tree should be removed to prevent further infections to nearby plants. Symptoms include discolored rings on leaves and fruits. Controlling aphids is helpful too.

How do you get rid of brown rot?

For trees that are already infected, treatment with a brown rot fungicide is the only course of action. Diseased fruit and twigs need to be removed before the brown rot fungicide is applied. Most all purpose fruit tree fungicides are effective in the control of brown rot disease.

What is killing my plum tree?

Plum aphids are another common pest found on plum trees. Aptly names, as plum leaves are the pests’ favorite food. These aphids are green, yellow or brown and under ½ inch (1.25 cm.) The curled leaves then do not photosynthesize properly, which stunts the tree and/or fruit and, in severe cases, will kill the tree.

Why has my plum tree suddenly died?

Plums can get a fungal disease if they are not pruned during the summer months. It is still a bit early for pruning. Yes, they can be frosted and lose their blossom but it would need to be a very sharp frost to damage leaves and if frosted they would go black not droopy and brown.

Can brown rot kill a plum tree?

Brown rot is caused by a fungus and, unless measures are taken to limit its damaging effect, the disease can destroy entire crops of apples, pears, plums and cherries.

Why are the plums on my Tree turning brown?

Brown rot: Brown rot is a fungal disease causing a brown, spreading rot in fruit, sometimes with white pustules of fungi on the surface. It is usually worse in wet summers. Remedy: Remove all rotten fruit as soon as you see it and destroy, this will prevent the spread of the rot. Wasps: All tree fruits are prone to wasp damage.

What should I do if my plum tree is not growing?

Use high potassium liquid tomato feed fortnightly. Plumtree care. When rain is not there, leaves of Plum Tree appear to be brown, it is due to lack of water. To get rid of such a situation, soak the entire pot with water. In each spring, fertilize cow dung around the Prunus plant.

What kind of disease does a plum tree have?

Plum trees ( Prunus spp .), grown in USDA zones 3 through 8, produce some delicious stone fruit. Grown around the world as an ornamental and, more commonly, as a fruit-bearing tree, plum trees and myriad other fruit and stone fruit species, unfortunately, are subject to several different diseases that can harm or potentially even kill them.

How can you tell if a plum tree has been attacked?

From the outside the plum looks OK, may be a small brown mark on the skin but nothing more. But inside, the plum is completely inedible. You may also notice one or two small hardened drops of resin on the fruit which are the tree’s response to being attacked.

Brown Rot. Brown rot is another of the plum tree diseases that affects the fruit. Homeowners are often unaware of a problem until green and ripening fruits display spots of the brown rot. In worsening stages, fruits become mummified and cling to the tree.

What to do if your plum tree has black rot?

Where black rot effects the growth of the tree, brown rot affects the fruit. It causes blown moldy looking rotten spots on developing fruit. Inspect your trees regularly and remove any infected branches. Prune your trees well to improve air circulation. If these steps fail, spray trees with a fungicide. Plum Borer

Why does my plum tree have hollow fruit?

This plum tree problem gets progressively worse without treatment and may halt useable fruit production. Swelling, discolored, hollow fruit signals the plum disease called plum pocket. Hollow fruits may be infested, itching to burst and further spread this plum tree problem. Once established, the disease returns every year.

From the outside the plum looks OK, may be a small brown mark on the skin but nothing more. But inside, the plum is completely inedible. You may also notice one or two small hardened drops of resin on the fruit which are the tree’s response to being attacked.