Shrub diseases can ravage your plants and severely impact their health and appearance. There are three shrub diseases, in particular, you should be on the lookout for here in Texas: leaf spot, powdery mildew, and sooty mold. Leaf spot typically appears as little circular spots that are all over leaves near the inner branches of a shrub. Powdery mildew looks like a white powder that coats a shrub's leaves. Sooty mold is caused by the presence of honeydew and grows black and thick overtop leaves. All three diseases can cause leaves to drop off the shrub prematurely, but luckily, they can all be cured with curative treatments from your local lawn care professional.

1. Leaf Spot

Shrub disease of leaf spot infection found in Austin, TX.

Leaf spot is a fungal disease that affects nearly every type of shrub. The disease interrupts photosynthesis and appears in little spots on the leaves of the shrub, and it can severely damage the health and appearance of the plant. The spots from this disease typically come in several different shapes, colors, and sizes, and they usually appear on the inner branches where leaves are shaded. Typically, they can look angular or rounded, and they can be sunken into the leaf with smooth or rigid-looking edges. This disease can appear in shades of yellow, orange, brown, or black. If it’s not taken care of, leaves can drop prematurely and the shrub will lose most, if not all, of its leaves.

2. Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew over a shrub in a landscape in Wells Branch, TX.

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that is usually very distinguishable. Typically, powdery mildew appears as spots or patches of white fungus that look like powder is coating the leaves. This disease usually worsens in warmer, dry climates, which makes it a prime shrub disease here in Texas. You may see little spherical structures that are white, yellow, or black that coat the leaves as well. Powdery mildew usually appears on the upper sides of leaves, but it can also be on the underside of leaves or stems. If your shrubs are infected with this disease, leaves might turn yellow and fall off prematurely, which affects both the health and appearance of the shrub.

3. Sooty Mold

Sooty mold is another fungal disease that is commonly found here in Texas. Honeydew is a substance excreted by insects while they feed on sap from different plants and shrubs, and sooty mold is caused by the presence of honeydew. Sooty mold doesn’t actually infect the leaves; it creates a dark growth overtop the plants that resembles a layer of soot. Sooty mold doesn't draw any sustenance from the shrub, but the sooty coating can get thick enough that it blocks sunlight from reaching the leaves which negatively affects the plant’s ability to grow and perform photosynthesis. If not taken care of, leaves can drop prematurely and hurt the appearance and health of your shrubs.

Some insects that create honeydew include aphids, leafhoppers, and mealybugs.

Call us today to sign up for our shrub disease control service!

Do you think there might be a disease affecting your shrubs? If so, we're here to help! Here at Century Lawn and Landscape, we offer our shrub disease control service to take care of damaging lawn diseases like leaf spot, powdery mildew, and sooty mold. Our curative treatments will send these infections packing so your shrubs can grow healthy and strong again. Our shrub disease control service is offered as an add-on to our shrub fertilization service so your plants can get an extra boost of nutrients.

We offer our shrub disease control service to residential property owners in Austin, Bee Cave, Dripping Springs, and the surrounding locations in Texas. Call us today at (512) 786-1694 to sign up for our shrub disease control service!