Fireblight in Apple, Crabapple, and Pear Trees
A bacterial disease that causes shoot blight and stem cankers on plants in the rose family, including some of the most common backyard fruit trees.
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What Fireblight Is
Fireblight is a bacterial disease that causes shoot blight and stem cankers on certain plants in the rose family. Pear, apple, and crabapple trees are among the species it affects.
How Severe Fireblight Can Get
Highly susceptible species can be severely disfigured, and in serious cases fireblight can kill an affected tree.
Managing Fireblight and Choosing Resistant Trees
Preventive treatment helps manage fireblight before it takes hold. Many highly resistant apple, crabapple, and pear varieties are also available, which is worth keeping in mind if you're planting new fruit or ornamental trees.
Related reading
See all guidesScab
Another common disease of apple and crabapple trees, this one affecting foliage rather than shoots and stems.
Anthracnose
A separate foliage disease worth knowing apart from fireblight when diagnosing a struggling tree.
Plant Health Care
Preventive treatment programs that help protect susceptible trees before fireblight sets in.
