Home Fruit Plantings: Elderberry Disease Descriptions

The more common diseases of elderberry are cankers, leaf spots, and powdery mildews.

Cankers

Cankers on twigs and branches can be caused by any of a number of fungi. The cankers may girdle the entire branch, causing it to die. Cankers are best controlled by pruning and burning the affected stems and twigs.

Leaf Spots

Many fungi can cause leaf spots. They usually are not important enough to warrant control measures.

Powdery Mildews

Four species of powdery mildew fungi affect elderberry by producing the typical white coating of the leaves.

Other Diseases

Elderberry also is susceptible to thread blight, root rots, and verticillium wilt.