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Silver Birch dropping yellow/black spotted leaves
HumbleBee
Posts: 105
Over the last week or so a big old silver birch that straddles the boundary between our garden and our neighbour’s garden has started shedding its leaves in large quantities. The leaves are all yellow with dark/black spots on them (see photo). Our garden is covered in them - it looks like autumn has arrived 
Does anyone know what could be causing this and how to treat it? I thought maybe it could be some form of fungal infection - could that infect the plants and shrubs around it? Any advice as to what it might be and/or how to treat it much appreciated.
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Where I worked until recently we had several silver birches in the grounds and gardens. Every summer some of the leaves would turn yellow and fall - our cars would be covered with them on wet and windy days - however the birches seemed perfectly healthy and have carried on doing it year after year. I wouldn't be worried about it. It may be the result of some fungal spores in the air, but they didn't seem to infect anything else around them.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Yes, many birches near me get this and don't seem any the worse for it. Some other types of tree come in to leaf late to avoid pests and diseases while birches seem to favour dropping affected leaves and growing new ones. I'm sure it will[ be fine and the majority of plant diseases are specific to just a few related species so It's unlikely to affect anything else in the vicinity. The chances are it was a fungal infection carried by aphids.
phew thanks I'm feeling more relieved now, was worried something was seriously wrong. Many thanks for the feedback!