Month-by-month lists of common plant diseases, pests, and other problems you may encounter in North Carolina yards and gardens.
Back to BOLO list of months.Turfgrasses
Brown patch (tall fescue/ryegrass)
Fairy ring (all turfgrasses)
Gray leaf spot (fescue/St. Augustinegrass)
Large patch (bermudagrass, centipedegrass, seashore paspalum, St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass)
Pythium blight (fescue/Kentucky bluegrass/ryegrass)
Summer Patch (Kentucky bluegrass/fine fescue)
Chinch bugs (St. Augustinegrass)Woody Ornamentals
General: Slime mold and nuisance fungi in landscape beds
Multiple hosts: Phytophthora root rot, Armillaria root rot, Botryosphaeria dieback, sooty mold, herbicide injury, heat/drought stress, improper planting, overfertilization
Multiple shrub species: root-knot nematodes
Arborvitae: Phytophthora root rot, Armillaria root rot
Azalea: Phytophthora root rot, Armillaria root rot, Phomopsis dieback, stunt nematode, Azalea prominent caterpillars (Datana major; large caterpillars)
Boxwood: Phytophthora root rot, boxwood blight, boxwood stem canker (Colletotrichum theobromicola), nematodes (lesion, root-knot, spiral)
Camellia: Glomerella canker, Phytophthora root rot
Cherry, flowering: shothole (Passalora) and leaf blight (Blumeriella)
Cherry-laurel: shot-hole, Botryosphaeria canker/dieback
Dogwood, flowering: powdery mildew, scorch (heat/drought), Septoria leaf spot
English Ivy: anthracnose, bacterial leaf spot, Phytophthora root rot
Euonymus: powdery mildew
Gardenia: Phytophthora root rot
Hydrangea: Cercospora leaf spot, Corynespora leaf spot
Indian hawthorn: Entomosporium leaf spot
Japanese black pine: pine wilt nematode
Japanese holly: black root rot, Armillaria root rot, Botryosphaeria canker/dieback
Junipers: Phytophthora root rot (except Eastern red cedar), Armillaria root rot, Phomopsis tip blight
Leucothoë: powdery mildew – note red spots on top of infected leaves
Leyland cypress: Phytophthora root rot, Armillaria root rot, Cypress (Seiridium) canker, Botryosphaeria canker/dieback, algae on foliage, internal browning
Loropetalum: bacterial gall (knot), Cercospora (Pseudocercospora) leaf spot
Magnolia, saucer: powdery mildew
Magnolia, Southern: algal leaf spot
Maple: anthracnose, Phyllosticta leaf spot
Oaks: bacterial leaf scorch, anthracnose (Discula, Apiognomonia), Tubakia leaf spot, slime flux (mainly on oak but can occur on maple, elm, hickory, and some other hardwoods)
Pine, white: ozone injury
Redbud: Cercospora (Passalora) leaf spot, bacterial leaf scorch
Red-tip photinia: Entomosporium leaf spot
Rhododendron: Botryosphaeria canker/dieback
Rose: Armillaria root rot, crown gall, black spot, Cercospora (Rosisphaerella) leaf spot, rose rosette
Spruce: Rhizosphaera needle cast
Sycamore: scorch from heat/drought, bacterial leaf scorch, anthracnose
Tulip (yellow) poplar: powdery mildew, premature fall color due to drought
Willow: Pseudocercospora leaf spotHerbaceous Ornamentals (Perennials, Bedding Plants)
Multiple hosts: Rhizoctonia root/stem/crown rot, Southern stem blight (Sclerotium rolfsii), root-knot nematodes, normal late-summer senescence of some perennials
Amsonia: rust
Aster: rust
Begonia: Pythium root rot, root-knot nematode
Coral bells (Heuchera): Phytophthora root/crown rot
Coreopsis: powdery mildew
Liriope: anthracnose on leaf tips, Fusarium crown rot
Impatiens: Rhizoctonia crown/stem blight, downy mildew*, root-knot nematode
*New Guinea impatiens are not susceptible to downy mildew
Iris: Heterosporium (Cladosporium) leaf spot, bacterial soft rot
Ironweed: Powdery mildew
Pachysandra: Volutella blight
Peony: leaf blotch (measles)
Petunia: Phytophthora crown/stem rot, Rhizoctonia stem rot
Rudbeckia: Septoria leaf spot, downy mildew
Vernonia: rust
Vinca, annual (Catharanthus): Phytophthora root rot and aerial blight, Rhizoctonia aerial blight
Zinnia: powdery mildew, Alternaria leaf (and petal) spot, bacterial leaf (and petal) spotFruits & Nuts
Multiple hosts: Herbicide injury, drought stress
Apple: cedar-apple rust, Marssonina leaf blotch, bitter rot, sooty blotch and flyspeck
Blackberry: cane blight
Blueberry: Botryosphaeria stem blight, Phytophthora root rot
Grape, bunch: downy mildew, anthracnose, black rot (fruit), Pierce’s disease, herbicide injury
Grape, muscadine: black rot (leaves), Pierce’s disease, herbicide injury
Peach: scab, brown rot (fruit phase)
Pear: Fabraea leaf spot
Pecan: scabVegetables & Herbs
Multiple hosts: Southern stem blight (Sclerotium rolfsii), root-knot nematodes, nutrient deficiencies
Basil: downy mildew
Beans: anthracnose, Cercospora leaf spot, Rhizoctonia root/stem rot
Cucurbits: downy mildew, powdery mildew (esp. squash, pumpkin), anthracnose, Fusarium wilt, gummy stem blight (esp. watermelon), root-knot nematode, ozone injury (esp. watermelon)
Pepper: bacterial spot, blossom-end rot
Thyme: Rhizoctonia aerial blight
Tomato: bacterial wilt, bacterial spot, Septoria leaf spot, Fusarium wilt (esp. heirloom varieties), early blight, late blight, gray leaf spot, root-knot nematode, blossom-end rot, growth cracksArthropods of the General Landscape
Cicada killers (males guarding territories, females nesting)
Wheel bugs (adults)
Green June beetles (Cotinis nitida; may attack ripe fruit)
Two-lined spittlebug (adults; often on hollies)Arthropods Associated with Multiple Plants
Fall webworms
Japanese beetle (particularly roses and grapes)
