It’s January and the winter hump is over, if your Aspens or Tower poplars still have leaves on them then you should read further and inspect your trees and or consult a professional before spring time.
Bronze leaf disease is a fungal infection that is relatively new to Alberta but has the potential to inflict severe devastation. We encourage you to treat it with extreme vigilance. It can infect various poplar species and hybrids but is mainly found in trembling aspen, Swedish columnar aspens and tower poplars. There are currently no known chemical treatments, early detection and proper pruning is the only proven method. Two thirds of our surrounding woodlands are susceptible to this fungus therefore the city has asked anyone who notices the following symptoms on susceptible hosts located on public lands to call the city and report it for professional inspection. The symptoms almost always start at the base of the tree working its way upward from branch to branch. The symptoms are most active in late summer, infected trees tend to hold onto their leaves through the winter till spring. It is important to remove the infected areas before springtime as they will release new spores and spread. All material should be taken to your local landfill and must not be kept for compost or firewood. Infected branches will have distinctive chocolate brown leaves, the main veins will turn from bright green to black before death.
