Cercospora Leaf Spot of Viburnum

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Plant Pathology Circular No. 217, September 1980
Fla. Dept. Agric. & Consumer Services
Division of Plant Industry

S. A. Alfieri, Jr.

Viburnum odoratissimum Ker., native of the Orient from India to Japan, is an evergreen shrub that grows up to 10 feet (3 m) tall in 5 to 6 years (1). Leaves are oval, bright green and up to 6 inches (15 cm) long. It is widely used as a screen or hedge because of its dense foliage. Viburnum grows fast, is cold hardy, and does well in sun or shade (3,4).

Cercospora leaf spot of viburnum is caused by Cercospora viburnicola Ray (2,5). It also occurs on V. oculus L. (5), as well as V. japonicum (Thunb.) Spreng., V. suspensum Lindl. and V. tenus L.(Plant Disease Records, Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, FL, unpublished).

Fig. 1. Cercospora leaf spot of Viburnum odoratissimum:
left, leaf spots without gray center; right, leaf spots with gray center.

SYMPTOMS.
Leaf spots are subcircular and angular to irregular, involving small to large Portions of the leaf. They are reddish to grayish brown.

CONTROL.

Reference to University of Florida/IFAS Pest Control Guides

SURVEY AND DETECTION.
Look for rather large angular to irregular, reddish to grayish brown leaf spots on older. mature leaves during warm, moist summer months.

Contribution No. 493, Bureau of Plant Pathology, P. O. Box 1269, Gainesville, FL 32602.

Literature Cited

1. Bailey, L. H. 1971. Manual of cultivated plants. The MacMillan Co. New York. 1116 p.

2. Chupp, C. 1953. A monograph of the fungus genus Cercospora. Ithaca, New York. 667 p.

3. Crockett, J. U. 1973. Evergreens in the Time-Life Encyclopedia of Gardening. Time-Life Books, New York. 160 p.

4. Maxwell, L. S., and B. M. Maxwell. 1961. Florida Plant Selector. L. S. Maxwell. Tampa. 114p.

5. Ray, W. W. 1941. Notes on Oklahoma Cercosporae. Mycologia 33:174-177.