| What is the cause of and treatment for prevention of the orange berries of pyracantha shrubs shriveling and turning black in late summer. It first developed on one bush and after some years it appeared on a neighboring ( 2 feet distant) bush. No one that I have talked to in my artea seems to know its cause or treatment. The shrubs otherwise appear to be healthy. A third otherwise healthy pyracantha shrub also close by and for years producing huge clusters of orange berries suddenly died without developing the "berry trouble". |
| Pyracanthas suffer from many of the same problems that beset apples, including fireblight and scab. You might consult with your county extension (989-6830) for a specific diagnosis in this instance as well as control recommendations. When replacing the deceased shrub, you might look for some relatively disease resistant varieties such as ?Apache?, ?Fiery Cascade?, ?Mohave?, ?Navaho?, ?Pueblo?, ?Shawnee?, or ?Teton?. Unfortunately, I can't explain specifically why it died, although it is quite possibly related to the severe drought we had two years ago, or could have been that an unseen rooting problem finally took its toll. |
