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Cherry Trees: Seeing Holes in Their Leaves? Here’s Why

Resources: Tree Problems

cherry tree blossoming

“How do I get my cherry trees looking that pretty?” the average homeowner asks. Given their visual benefits, it’s no wonder they are one of the most popular ornamental trees in the area.

As with everything, however, there are a few issues that may develop in cherry trees. Often, this is due to the development of shot hole disease. Read on to find out more about it and what you can do to keep your cherry trees looking great.

Diseases in Cherry Trees

Planting new trees is always exciting. After all, a new tree is a new adventure, a new life, and it’s all happening in your yard! However, after marveling at the beauty of blossoming cherry trees, problems may begin which could result in a ruined picturesque landscape.

A catch-all symptomatic phrase, shot hole disease often worries homeowners as they inflict their once beautiful cherry trees.

The following are symptoms of shot hole disease:

  • Holes
  • Black spots
  • Early leaf drop
  • Yellowing


  • Holes in leaves

  • Black spots on leaves
  • Early leaf drop
  • Yellowing leaves
Paul Bachi, University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, Bugwood.org

What Causes Shot Hole Disease?

Fungal pathogens are one of cherry trees’ greatest adversaries. Together with certain bacteria, leaf spot fungi lead to the symptoms found in shot hole disease. These issues reduce the cherry trees’ benefits, whether they be visual appeal, flowers, or fruit production.

Environmental stressors such as wet springs and drought will increase the likelihood of disease in cherry trees. If severe, the infection may continue through summer and foster into the yellowing appearance and early defoliation. Worse, if the infection continues for several years, the vitality of the plant may come into question.

Altogether, this makes continuous seasonal care important to upkeep the health of cherry trees.

To learn more about the impacts of environmental stress, check out our article here.

How do you treat shot hole disease?

Fortunately, cherry trees are typically able to recover from shot hole disease without any necessary treatment. However, the issues often look unsightly and fail to present the beautiful vision homeowners had in mind.

Our Cherry Tree Care Package will:

  • Keep your landscape looking beautiful and lively
  • Maintain the health and vigor of your cherry trees
  • Make your cherry trees less susceptible to diseases

You can book an appointment with one of our Certified Arborists to discuss our Cherry Tree Care Package. After all, what’s better than one scenic landscape? Multiple – and, owning one yourself! Cherry tree owners deserve the scenic (and more importantly, healthy and flourishing) landscape they envisioned.

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Find a Certified Arborist in Your Area!

Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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