Indian Hawthorn Problem/Disease

[Berob]

I have seven Eleanor Tabor (pink) Indian Hawthorns that I planted a little over a year ago. All the outer, lower foliage is gone leaving only the top center with any leaves. A landscaper was recently at my neighbor's house and I asked him about it. He said it is a disease/fungus (he didn't know the name) which frequently afflicts these plants to the point where he has quit planting them. I'm in Zone 7. Does anyone know what this is and/or what the cure is? Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Berob

[B & J]

As a guess, I would suggest that the hawthorns may be infected with fire blight. I thought about planting a hawthorn in my yard until I found that fire blight was a big problem. I've lost mountain ash and apples trees to fire blight, which made me leery about planting a hawthorn. Check out this site or do a Google search by typing in "hawthorn fire blight":

[Pam - gardengal]

It is the same fungus that results in leaf spot on photinia, Entosporium, although 'Eleanor Tabor' is supposed to more resistant to this problem than many other cultivars. Unfortunately, there is no "cure" for fungal problems - once afflicted it is very dfficult to control the spread of this disease. Indian hawthorns are of marginal hardiness in zone 7 - I'd be inclined to replace them with something more suited to your climate and without disease problems.

pam - gardengal

[Jim Lewis]

planted a little

leaving only the

snip

with fire

found that

snip

Probably not. Indian hawthorns aren't hawthorns. (The curse of the common name strikes again!) They are a warm-weather plant (they do OK in zone 8, but I'd doubt their health in zone 7).

Jim Lewis - [e-mail] - Tallahassee, FL - Only where people have learned to appreciate and cherish the landscape and its living cover will they treat it with the care and respect it should have - Paul Bigelow Sears.

[MikeSt]

I would say probably not because the symptoms described do not match fire blight. Indian hawthorns may not be hawthorns, but they are related, and they are vulnerable to fire blight.

[Jim Lewis]

match

are

Related, as in Rosaceae? OK, but that's a pretty big group, I can't find any indication that they are placed anywhere near Crataegus, so the relationship seems pretty distant.

And I've only seen leaf spot on Raphiolepis (or Rhaphiolepis). Dirr mentions leaf spot, but NOT fire blight.

(?)

Jim Lewis - [e-mail] - Tallahassee, FL - Where the Indian "hawthorn" is just barely hardy.

[B & J]

If you checked the site I listed, Jim, it stated an Indian Hawthorn is susceptible to fire blight, which was why I made the suggestion. I checked before purchasing a hawthorn and found they were susceptible. I'm sure Pam has a far better answer than mine as to cause of the problem.

John