Cedar-apple rust gall

Cedar-apple rust gall on Juniper
John Hartman, University of Kentucky, Bugwood.org

Updated: February 2, 2024

Key points

  • Cedar-apple rust, quince rust, and hawthorn rust are diseases that require plants from two different families in order to complete their life cycle. Plants from the Cupressaceae family (red cedar, juniper) and from the Rosaceae family (crabapple, pears, apples,  hawthorn, serviceberry/shadbush, and quince). Juniperus virginiana, the Eastern red cedar, is the most common rust-susceptible cedar in Maryland. 
  • The diseases are caused by fungi in the genus Gymnosporangium.
  • These rusts damage many popular ornamental plants. Colorful leaf spots and twig and fruit malformations are produced on pomaceous plants. Peculiar round leaf galls, twig galls, cankers, and twig dieback are produced on cedar hosts.

Conspicuous symptoms are produced on both apples and cedars. Fungal spores produced on one type of host plant are carried by wind to infect the other.

Cedar apple rust on apple
Cedar apple rust on apple
Hawthorn rust infected twig
Hawthorn rust infected twig
Close-up of Cedar-apple rust gall on
Close-up of Cedar-apple rust gall on juniper
Cedar-apple rust gall on juniper
Cedar-apple rust gall on juniper

Problems caused by rust diseases

  • Highly susceptible, heavily infected trees may suffer leaf loss and be defoliated by midsummer.
  • Leaf spots are conspicuous and detract from ornamental value.
  • The loss of leaf area due to spotting and defoliation reduces the vigor of trees, decreases yields, and makes the plants more susceptible to winter injury and other diseases.
  • Most infected fruit drops in June, whereas the remainder may be misshapen, cracked, and subject to secondary fruit rots.
  • Quince-rust galls on twigs may result in branch dieback and distorted growth.
  • On cedar hosts, in moist spring weather, gelatinous masses of reddish-orange fungal spores are produced on infected twigs.Galled leaves and twigs may die back resulting in distorted growth. Perennial rust cankers may cause witches’ brooms and large swollen cankers.
serviceberry fruit with orange protrusions on them
Cedar-quince rust (Gymnosporangium clavipes) on serviceberry (Amelanchier) fruit
Photo: Penn State Depart. of Plant Pathology & Environmental Microbiology Archives, Penn State University, Bugwood.org

Management strategies

  • Separate alternate hosts. Do not plant susceptible apples near susceptible junipers: a distance of 1 to 2 miles greatly reduces infection. (This is obviously not practical in areas where Eastern Red cedar is common.)
  • Hand pick and destroy cedar galls by April 1, before the spore-producing tendrils are formed. Cedar galls are most conspicuous and easy to see in wet weather when the orange spore tendrils are extruded. After the orange tendrils are produced, it is too late to prevent spore dispersal.
  • Select resistant varieties of pomaceous (apples, pears, crabapples) plants.

Related information

Cedar Apple And Related Rusts on Ornamentals | Penn State Extension

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