Have You Seen Any Maple Leaves With Black Spots in Maine?
'Tis the season for leaves changing color and what's left after the Nor'easter a couple of weeks ago is beautiful. Well, most of them are beautiful. Outside the office window, a co-worker spotted spots! What the heck is going on with our trees?
After a quick Google search, it appears to be Maple Tar Spot Disease according to Gardening Know How.
The spots are a type of fungus called Rhytisma and they start out as a yellow spot in summer and by autumn look black like we all saw outside of the window.
While unsightly they apparently do no harm to the tree itself and will be gone with the leaves once they fall. The fungus is transmitted via the wind so there's obviously a chance the fungus could come back or spread to other trees nearby.
Gardening Know How suggests that in an effort to help control the spread, to burn, bag, or compost the leaves once raked.