What pests attack sour cherry?

Black-veined white, Cherry fruit fly, San José scale, Leaf rollers, Pear slug sawfly

What diseases affect sour cherry?

Brown rot and blossom wilt, Honey fungus, Cherry leaf spot, Cytospora canker, Shot hole

What else goes wrong with sour cherry?

Gummosis, Frost cracks and winter sunscald

Sour cherry pests and diseases: how to recognise them

Q: Which sour cherry problems need quick action?

Brown rot and blossom wilt: Rotted fruit dries into shrivelled mummies that stay on the tree. Honey fungus: Black or brown root-like cords ("bootlaces") on the roots and in the soil, mostly in the top 15 cm.

Prunus cerasus

The pests, diseases and disorders recorded for sour cherry in our library, each with a photo and its first symptom. Every page has the full list of symptoms, organic and chemical treatment and prevention.

At a glance

Problems in total	12
Pests	5
Diseases	5
Growing conditions	2
Need quick action	2

How to grow sour cherry · All pests and diseases

Pests

Black-veined whiteIn winter, nests of a few dry leaves spun together with silk hang in the crown, each holding dozens of small caterpillars.Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Cherry fruit flyA brownish, soft patch on the cherry near the stalk.Also called: European cherry fruit flyPhoto: Holger Krisp, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
San José scaleGumming on the bark and dying twigs and branches.Photo: Zihao Wang, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Leaf rollersBronze scars with a rough, net-like surface on the fruit skin.Also called: tortrix moths, leafroller mothsPhoto: Patrick Clement, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Pear slug sawflySlimy, slug-like dark larvae up to about 10 mm long on the upper side of the leaves.Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diseases

Growing conditions

Which sour cherry problems need quick action?

These spread or do lasting harm fast; check the plants and start treatment the day you see them.

Brown rot and blossom wilt: Sunken cankers may form on twigs where the infection spreads from flowers or fruit.
Honey fungus: Clumps of honey-coloured mushrooms around stumps or over dead roots in late summer and autumn — not every year, and plants may die before any appear.

Plants with many of the same problems

Which plants each problem affects: sources

The links between these problems and the plant were checked against these pages.