• slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide

Cedar Apple, Quince or Hawthorn Rust

Don’t panic if your red cedar, a type of juniper, looks like it has been slimed. The gelatinous orange substance is the fruiting stage of cedar–apple rust.

This fungal disease spends half of its life on Junipers, often called red cedars, and the remainder on apples, crabapples, hawthorns or quince.  It does not kill either host, but can cause some tip dieback and round ball-like galls on the twigs and needles of junipers.  These galls swell after a warm spring rain and produce the orange gelatinous horns. These horns release fungal spores, infecting nearby apples, crabapples, hawthorns and quince.

If infected, these plants develop orange spots on their leaves and fruit and in severe infestations may drop some of their leaves.

Fortunately, this is more of a cosmetic problem and the plants will survive. 

A bit more information:  Removing the alternate hosts within at least several hundred feet of your desired plant can help reduce the problem. Unfortunately, the alternate host may be on your neighbor’s property or a nearby park or public right-of-way. Avoid creating more problems in the future by buying rust-resistant varieties.

Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars


April 3, 2024
Garden Trends 

Franklin Public Library, Franklin, WI

April 10, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

Container Gardening Throughout the Year
Register now

April 11, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

7 Steps to Managing Water Where it Falls in Your Yard
Register now

April 17, 2024
Landscaping for Birds: 
A Gardener’s Perspective

Glendale, WI 

April 18, 2024
Be a Waterwise Gardener
Golden Rondelle Theater, Racine, WI
Register now

April 20, 2024
Pruning Hydrangeas and Other Shrubs 
Pasquesi Home & Gardens, Lake Bluff, IL

April 27, 2024
Ridges & Rivers Book Festival
Viroqua, WI

April 28, 2024
Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI

May 1, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables
Register now

May 9, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

How to Plant Your Rain Garden
Register now

WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS

Learn More

Book an Appearance

Learn More

Enter to Win The Birds & Blooms' Ultimate Gardening Guide !

ENTER NOW