Good morning, Frederick. As we move into late May, a lot of trees are showing symptoms that look alarming but are actually two very different problems with two very different solutions. Heat stress and fungal disease can both cause leaf curl, discoloration, and early drop, but treating one when you have the other does nothing, and can make things worse.
Heat stress typically shows up as scorched or brown leaf edges, wilting during the hottest part of the day, and leaves that curl inward but remain on the tree. The pattern tends to follow sun exposure, with the most affected leaves on the south and southwest sides. In a mid-Atlantic summer, this often comes and goes with rain and temperature cycles, and trees that are otherwise healthy usually recover with proper watering and root zone care.
Fungal disease looks different. You'll often see spots, rings, or irregular blotches on leaves rather than clean edge scorch. Leaf drop can happen earlier and more uniformly across the whole canopy. Some fungal problems, like powdery mildew or certain leaf spot diseases, are cosmetic but not fatal. Others can weaken a tree significantly over several seasons if left unmanaged.
If you're not sure what you're looking at, that's exactly what we're here for. Our arborists can walk your property and give you a clear read on what each tree is dealing with. Visit wattstreeexperts.com to request a free estimate. Have you noticed anything unusual on your trees that you've been wondering about?
#FrederickMD #TreeHealth
Split-image or side-by-side showing heat-stressed leaves (clean brown edge scorch) versus fungal disease symptoms (spotting, rings, blotches). Real leaf photos from Maryland trees preferred. An arborist examining affected foliage in the field also works well.
Canva text suggestion: "Heat Stress or Disease? Know the Difference." or "Your Tree Is Telling You Something. We Can Read It."