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Dying Rowan tree
catherinemelvin141147
Posts: 7
Hi, my Rowan tree appears to be dying. I think the leaves actually started to go brown during the summer, and whilst all the other Rowan trees on my street have now shed their leaves, our tree is still covered in brown withered leaves. Also the trunk has developed an orange pattern on it i.e. patches of the trunk have gone an orange colour. I am an inexperienced gardener so I have no idea how to treat it!? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Two things stood out for me in the photo though, apart from the bark/trunk. The huge pole/stake nearby, and the general ground it's planted in. How is the trunk attached to the stake? The most common problems often occur due to physical damage to limbs, causing infections to get in. That can be a too tight tree tie, or a strimmer/mower catching bark at the base, or similar.
Can you give us a couple of photos from further out @catherinemelvin141147?
Plus - a bit more info re how the ground was prepped for planting, how long the tree's been there, and a rough idea of your location/climate?
All these things can give a better overview, and honey fungus or fireblight are certainly a possibility, but rotting is always possible if there's a solid area of ground lower down, affecting drainage. They'll take any amount of rain, but there has to be reasonable enough drainage to avoid long term waterlogging. Leaves turning brown early are usually from drought, but it can also be the opposite situation.
I've never seen fireblight on any rowans, or on other susceptible woody shrubs/trees, so I can't tell if it's that. Never had honey fungus round here either, but sometimes there are no obvious reasons for plants of any kind failing. It might just be 'one of those things'. Sorry if that isn't terribly encouraging.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
And the trunk looks like the orangey patches that comes with the disease.
Also your description of the leaves being dead and hanging on.
I can't remember it exactly but we had a Pyracantha, which are known to be susceptible. It had branches which initially appeared to be covered in leaves which went brown /died, and looked as if they had been scorched or burned completely which stayed on the the plant.
And patches of orangey bark which shows very obviously against a grey trunk.
I cut out the bad ones but it repeatedly succumbed. Under the bark was also brown orangey streaks.
I think from the main trunk it is already looking bad whatever it is.
Sorry to also not be very encouraging.
You might try looking up Sorbus disease images or fire blight sorbus bark.
It may come up with corroborating images I had a quick look but no perfect match. But some apple trees with similar colouring came up.
Wait and see what it looks like in spring.
I've had scab on Pyracantha - another shrub which is susceptible to fireblight, but certainly not fireblight. Quinces, Hawthorn, Whitebeam [the other type of Sorbus] and Cotoneaster are also vulnerable apparently - all shrubs/trees which grow without problem here. It seems to be mainly south of the border though, which is probably why I've never seen it.
I don't think you can get rid of it unfortunately - affected parts have to be removed and burned.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...