American Elm Rust/Brown Leaf Tips

[chuckyblack09]

This happened last year around the same time. My American Elm's leaves start getting these rust colored tips on almost every leaf. Last year this started and by end of September every leaf was dried up and completely brown. I thought the tree died, but it came back like nothing happened this spring.

Is this a too much water, not enough water, dry wind issue? Something else?

 

[Tieball]

I hame not had this on my American Elm trees. Perhaps because when i spray a Daconil fungicide on my Oak trees I also spray the Elms. It looks like you need a fungicide treatment. You could spray it now but it might be to late for the current leaves….maybe, maybe not. I typically spray in the late autumn after leaf fall before the snow starts and then again in the spring at bud swell. My Oaks seem to require at least three or four treatments. So the Elms get an overspray each time.

 

[PA_Penjing]

hmmmm I was just looking at my American elms today and noticed a few leaves had brown tips. concerning...

 

[chuckyblack09]

hmmmm I was just looking at my American elms today and noticed a few leaves had brown tips. concerning...

Odd that you're also in Pennsylvania, albeit on the opposite side of the state...

To me it seems related to the decrease in precipitation since it happens later in the summer.

That's what makes me think it's possibly a dry breeze issue. Watering I can't imagine being an issue since I keep an eye on soil moisture and water when needed.

 

[PA_Penjing]

Mines not bad yet, not the entire tree. But definitely new. I baby my elms, lots of water and I keep the pots shaded with a towel when temps get above 86 F. But it has been drier this week after a very humid spring and summer. That might be all it is. My elms do get full scalding sun and are the only deciduous species I keep on the bench. Even bald cypress get burned when placed there. Maybe I'm pushing it too hard? how much sun do yours get?

 

[chuckyblack09]

Mines not bad yet, not the entire tree. But definitely new. I baby my elms, lots of water and I keep the pots shaded with a towel when temps get above 86 F. But it has been drier this week after a very humid spring and summer. That might be all it is. My elms do get full scalding sun and are the only deciduous species I keep on the bench. Even bald cypress get burned when placed there. Maybe I'm pushing it too hard? how much sun do yours get?

It has been getting pretty much full sun. Although, I just moved it a day or two ago to get partial shade.
That's what I'm thinking. It was very humid all May, June and July and then August hit and it's been completely dry.

 

[PA_Penjing]

I just double checked mine and it’s only two leaves that were damaged by hail a few months ago. I’m thinking it’s just wear and tear now

 

[MMJNICE]

This happened last year around the same time. My American Elm's leaves start getting these rust colored tips on almost every leaf. Last year this started and by end of September every leaf was dried up and completely brown. I thought the tree died, but it came back like nothing happened this spring.

Is this a too much water, not enough water, dry wind issue? Something else?

That doesn't look like American elm to me.. it looks like something like hophornbeam the leaves are way to big and the teeth on the leaves look totally like hops is the tree collected in the woods by chance? And if hophornbeam the brown on the leaves is pretty normal by late summer early fall.

 

[MMJNICE]

This happened last year around the same time. My American Elm's leaves start getting these rust colored tips on almost every leaf. Last year this started and by end of September every leaf was dried up and completely brown. I thought the tree died, but it came back like nothing happened this spring.

Is this a too much water, not enough water, dry wind issue? Something else?

Almost sure that's hophornbeam btw the buds are another give away... hops are Fun to play with they seem to handle bonsai stuff really well and dependable for back budding on old wood.

 

[DeepSouth]

This is 100% a hophornbeam, not an elm. These are a great species for bonsai, one of my favorites!

Regarding the red tips, this would not concern me at all. Mine all do it this time of the year and the ones in the wild do as well. The leaves are getting weaker with the tree preparing for dormancy, which opens them up to some minor opportunistic pathogens. When the leaves drop, clean them up and don’t let them sit in the soil and spray Daconil throughout dormancy and around bud swell in early Spring.

 

[chuckyblack09]

This is 100% a hophornbeam, not an elm. These are a great species for bonsai, one of my favorites!

Regarding the red tips, this would not concern me at all. Mine all do it this time of the year and the ones in the wild do as well. The leaves are getting weaker with the tree preparing for dormancy, which opens them up to some minor opportunistic pathogens. When the leaves drop, clean them up and don’t let them sit in the soil and spray Daconil throughout dormancy and around bud swell in early Spring.

@MMJNICE

Almost sure that's hophornbeam btw the buds are another give away... hops are Fun to play with they seem to handle bonsai stuff really well and dependable for back budding on old wood.

Wow, I think you guys are right. This would explain everything with the leaves. The only thing that still has me a little confused though is that the leaves seem to be asymmetrical at the base of the leaf which I thought was an elm trait.

 

[DeepSouth]

Wow, I think you guys are right. This would explain everything with the leaves. The only thing that still has me a little confused though is that the leaves seem to be asymmetrical at the base of the leaf which I thought was an elm trait.

For reference, here are some of the leaves on my hophornbeams. You will even notice the same leaf tip issues in the second picture, which is of older growth.