Phytophthora Bleeding Canker of Horse Chestnut
Bleeding Canker (Latin name - Phytophthora) of Horse Chestnut (Latin name - Aesculus hippocastanum) is spreading across the UK and killing the conker trees.
Bleeding Canker causes the bark of the tree to curl up.
The disease is terminal.
Cutting off an infected bough does not help. If the diseased branch is cut off, the fungus just enters through the wound and speeds up the process of decay.
Our lovely old horsechestnut tree is dying, not sure if it’s that … the leaves are curling up, and it generally looks sick. I’m told this is an insect borne disease, and that there’s no cure, so it sounds as if it’s’ the same thing … I’ve seen a lot of other horsechestnuts with the same problem - not sure if it affects sweet chestnuts too … the ones I saw the other day in Somerset were fine, but then they were close to healthy horsechestnuts, so that was no guide.
Horrible - ours is a favourite climbing tree here. Is the one in your photograph from your garden?
Joanna
Comment by Joanna - October 20, 2007 2:02 pm
Hi Joanna
Sorry to hear about your tree. I regret that soon it will not be safe to climb in, as the branches will become weak.
The photo is of our garden. It is quite upsetting, as horse chestnuts always seemed so strong - and reliable - part of the landscape. We had some Polish visitors the other day, & they recognised it immediatley, as they have had it in Poland for several years. It is wiping all their conker trees out.
I have not seen it in sweet chestnuts, so hope they will be OK.
Thanks for visiting.
Comment by TopVeg - October 20, 2007 4:34 pm