Expert: David Date: 7/7/2008 Subject: Cleveland Pear Tree
Question Our Cleveland Pear Tree was planted by the builder three years ago and was showing no sign of disease until this Spring/summer season. It had several dead branches throughout the tree that we had cut off after reading that it may be fire blight. The tree still has some of the tips of the branches turning brown. Now I have noticed that some of the little green fruit (this is not a fruit tree)that grows between the branches has some sort of light brown growth all over it. The stem may have three fruits on it, but only one will have the growth. What is this and can this tree be saved?
Answer There may be some fire blight on the tree. It will not kill the tree, most likely. Fire blight is an environmentally driven bacterial disease and may be severe in one year and non-existent in the next. I would not worry about this one too much. Continue to cut any dead branch tips. As far as the fruit symptoms, you may be describing cedar-quince rust, a fungal disease of the fruits. See if there is any orange coloration on the fruits along with the brown growth. If you see this, then that is what I would suspect it is. There is really no control for this disease either and I would not worry too much about it either. Let me know if things progress to a worse case. Thanks.
