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Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae
Cedar apple rust is an important fungal disease of apple in North America east of the Rocky Mountains. It can defoliate trees and blemish fruit making them unmarketable. The fungus requires two hosts, apple and eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.), to complete its life cycle. Spores produced on apple do not infect apple, but only cedar and spores produced on cedar infect only apple.
Woodland edge.
I assumed that this gall was caused by some kind of gall wasp but this is actually a fungus.
Spotted on Nov 2, 2011
Submitted on Nov 2, 2011
4 Comments
I'm sure it will too! It's pretty much impossible to eliminate anything with 8 acres especially as we garden organically! :)
I have a hunch it'll be back.........
Good luck
Thanks Craig! I found it fascinating that it requires 2 completely different host plants in order to complete it's life cycle. However, as we have planted a number of crab apples this year I think I am going to have to remove it!
Great spotting. I have an admiring respect for this fungus. I'm sure if I were an apple grower, it might be a different story though.