Tree Diseases Common in the Charlotte Area and How to Spot Them

Charlotte's warm, humid climate is great for growing trees. It is also great for growing the fungi, bacteria, and insects that attack them. If you own a home anywhere in the Charlotte metro area, from Huntersville to Fort Mill, from Ballantyne to Matthews, the trees in your yard are exposed to a specific set of diseases that thrive in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Knowing what to look for can help you catch problems early, when treatment is still possible, instead of waiting until the tree is too far gone and removal is the only option.

Here are the most common tree diseases in the Charlotte area, how to identify them, and what you can do about each one.

Bacterial Leaf Scorch

Bacterial leaf scorch is the biggest tree killer in Charlotte right now, and it is killing willow oaks across the city. If you have driven down Queens Road in Myers Park or Providence Road in South Charlotte, you have seen trees with brown, crispy leaf edges in the middle of summer. That is bacterial leaf scorch.

The disease is caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which is spread by leafhoppers and other sap-feeding insects. It clogs the water-conducting tissues of the tree, essentially causing the tree to die of thirst even when there is plenty of water in the soil.

What it looks like:

• Leaf edges turn brown and crispy, starting in late June or July
• A yellow or reddish band often separates the brown dead tissue from the green living tissue
• Symptoms start on older leaves and the lower canopy first, then spread upward
• The tree looks scorched, as if it has been through a drought, even after rain
• Symptoms get worse each year, with more of the canopy dying back annually

Trees affected: Willow oaks (by far the most common in Charlotte), red oaks, elms, sycamores, and red maples.

Treatment: There is no cure. Antibiotic injections (usually oxytetracycline) can suppress symptoms for a season, but they do not eliminate the bacteria. These injections cost $200 to $600 per treatment and need to be repeated annually. For many Charlotte homeowners, the realistic question is not how to cure the tree but how many more years they can keep it alive before it needs to be removed. An arborist can assess how far the disease has progressed and help you plan accordingly.

Anthracnose

Anthracnose is a group of fungal diseases that cause brown or black spots on leaves, often leading to early leaf drop. It is very common in Charlotte during cool, wet springs. If your dogwood, sycamore, or oak leaves looked blotchy and fell off early in April or May, anthracnose is the likely cause.

What it looks like:

• Irregular brown or black spots on leaves, sometimes following leaf veins
• Curled, distorted leaves
• Early leaf drop, sometimes significant enough to make the tree look bare in late spring
• Dead spots on young shoots and twigs

Trees affected: Dogwoods, sycamores, oaks, maples, and ash trees.

Treatment: Anthracnose rarely kills an otherwise healthy tree. Most trees will push out a second set of leaves after the infected leaves drop. Raking up and disposing of fallen leaves reduces the fungal spores available to reinfect the tree the following year. Fungicide sprays are available but are usually only worth the cost for high-value specimen trees. The best long-term approach is keeping your trees healthy through proper watering, mulching, and pruning to improve air circulation.

Hypoxylon Canker

Hypoxylon canker is a fungal disease that attacks stressed hardwood trees. It is extremely common in Charlotte, especially after drought years. The fungus lives on virtually every oak tree in the area without causing harm. But when a tree becomes stressed from drought, root damage, construction activity, or other factors, the fungus takes over and kills the tree quickly.

What it looks like:

• Bark peeling away from the trunk in large sections
• Underneath the bark, you see a layer that looks like charcoal dust: dark brown or black powdery fungal material
• The tree's canopy thins and dies rapidly, sometimes within a single growing season
• Dead branches and limbs throughout the canopy

Trees affected: Oaks (especially post oaks and water oaks), pecans, and other hardwoods.

Treatment: Once hypoxylon canker is visible on the trunk, the tree is already dead or dying. There is no treatment. The tree should be removed promptly because the wood decays quickly and becomes brittle, making the tree a falling hazard. If you see bark peeling off a tree in your yard and dark, dustite material underneath, call a tree service. For more on recognizing dying trees, see our guide on signs your tree is dead or dying.

Southern Pine Beetle

We covered pine beetles in detail in our pine tree removal guide, but they belong on this list because they are arguably the most destructive tree pest in the Charlotte area. Southern pine beetles kill more pines in the Piedmont than any other cause.

What it looks like:

• Needles turning from green to yellow to reddish-brown, usually starting at the top
• Small, BB-sized holes in the bark
• Pitch tubes: small globs of white or amber resin on the trunk
• Heavy woodpecker activity on the trunk
• S-shaped tunnels visible under loose bark

Trees affected: Loblolly pines (the dominant pine in Charlotte), shortleaf pines, Virginia pines.

Treatment: Healthy pines can sometimes fight off small beetle attacks by "pitching out" the beetles with resin flow. But once an infestation is established, there is no treatment. The tree must be removed quickly to prevent beetles from spreading to neighboring pines. Preventive insecticide treatments exist for high-value pines near infested areas, but they are expensive ($200 to $400 per tree annually) and only make sense for specific situations.

Oak Wilt

Oak wilt has not yet been confirmed in Mecklenburg County, but it has been found in other parts of North Carolina and is moving through the Southeast. Given Charlotte's large population of oaks, including the willow oaks, red oaks, and white oaks that line streets and fill yards across the city, this is a disease every Charlotte homeowner should know about.

What it looks like:

• Rapid leaf wilting and browning, often starting at the top or on one side of the tree
• Leaves may show a pattern of browning from the tips and margins inward
• Red oaks can die within weeks of showing symptoms
• White oaks show symptoms more slowly and may survive for years

Trees affected: All oaks, but red oaks and willow oaks are most susceptible.

Prevention: Do not prune oaks from April through August when the beetles that spread oak wilt are most active. If you must make a cut during those months (storm damage, for example), immediately apply a wound sealant. This is one of the few situations where wound sealant is actually recommended by arborists.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is the white or grayish coating you see on leaves, especially on crepe myrtles and dogwoods, during Charlotte's humid summers. It looks like someone dusted the leaves with flour. While it is common and unsightly, it rarely kills trees.

What it looks like:

• White or grayish powdery coating on leaves, usually the upper surface
• Affected leaves may curl, yellow, or drop early
• Flower buds may be distorted or fail to open
• Most visible during warm, humid weather with cool nights, which describes most Charlotte summers

Trees affected: Crepe myrtles, dogwoods, oaks, and many other species.

Treatment: Improve air circulation by pruning out crowded interior branches. Avoid overhead watering. Plant mildew-resistant crepe myrtle varieties when possible (the "Indian tribe" series like Natchez, Muskogee, and Tuscarora have good resistance). Fungicide sprays work but need to be applied before the mildew appears to be most effective. For more on proper crepe myrtle care, see our article on crepe myrtle pruning in Charlotte.

Fire Blight

Fire blight is a bacterial disease that affects trees and shrubs in the rose family. It gets its name from the scorched appearance of affected branches, which look like they have been burned. It is common on ornamental pears (including Bradford pears, which are everywhere in Charlotte) and crabapples.

What it looks like:

• Branch tips suddenly wilt and turn black, as if burned
• Affected shoots curve into a characteristic "shepherd's crook" shape
• Bark on infected branches may appear water-soaked or dark
• A bacterial ooze (amber or milky colored) may appear on infected areas during wet weather

Trees affected: Bradford pears, crabapples, apple trees, and other rose family members.

Treatment: Prune infected branches at least 12 inches below the visible infection. Sterilize pruning tools between cuts with a 10% bleach solution or rubbing alcohol. Copper-based sprays applied during bloom time can reduce new infections. Severely infected trees may need to be removed.

Root Rot (Phytophthora)

Root rot is a soil-borne fungal disease that thrives in wet, poorly drained soil. Charlotte's clay soil holds water, and areas with poor drainage are prime territory for root rot. It attacks the root system underground, so by the time you see symptoms above ground, significant damage has already been done.

What it looks like:

• Gradual decline of the tree over months or years
• Yellowing leaves, smaller than normal leaf size
• Sparse canopy with dead branches
• Dark, water-soaked areas at the base of the trunk
• Mushrooms or fungal growth at the base of the tree or on exposed roots

Trees affected: Nearly any species, but oaks, dogwoods, and azaleas are commonly affected in Charlotte.

Treatment: Improve drainage around the tree. Avoid overwatering and make sure mulch is not piled against the trunk (a common mistake). Fungicide drenches can slow the disease in some cases. Severely affected trees may not be savable.

Why Charlotte's Climate Makes Tree Disease Worse

Charlotte's combination of heat, humidity, and rainfall creates a near-perfect environment for fungal and bacterial tree diseases. The city averages over 43 inches of rain per year and summer humidity regularly exceeds 80%. Temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit are common from June through September. These conditions keep moisture on leaf surfaces for extended periods, which is exactly what fungal spores need to germinate and infect.

On top of that, Charlotte's urban and suburban development creates stress on trees through soil compaction, root damage from construction, changes in drainage patterns, and the urban heat island effect. Stressed trees have weaker defenses against disease, which is why you often see disease problems concentrated in newly developed areas and along construction corridors.

When to Call an Arborist

Not every brown leaf or dead branch means your tree has a serious disease. Trees naturally drop some leaves and shed dead wood. But you should call a professional when you see:

• Rapid changes: a tree that goes from looking healthy to looking sick within a few weeks
• Bark falling off the trunk, especially if you see dark material or fungal growth underneath
• More than a quarter of the canopy dead or dying
• Mushrooms growing at the base of the tree or on the trunk
• Multiple trees of the same species showing the same symptoms on your property
• Any signs of pine beetle infestation (immediate removal is needed to protect other pines)

Early diagnosis gives you more options. An arborist can identify what is wrong, tell you whether treatment will work, and give you a realistic assessment of the tree's long-term outlook. That is worth far more than guessing and hoping for the best.