Shot-hole

Wilsonomyces carpophilus

also called coryneum blight, shothole

Small brown leaf spots on cherries, plums and laurel that dry, drop out and leave the leaf peppered with holes as if hit by shot.

Fungus Disfiguring Rain splashSpread in waterAirborne spores Spreads to neighbors

What you'll see

Small round spots, reddish or purple-brown at first, often with a paler center.
The dead centers dry, shrink and fall away, leaving clean holes across the leaf.
Heavy infection makes the foliage look tattered and ragged.
Spots and small cankers can also mark young shoots, buds and fruit.
On stone fruit, sunken lesions may develop on the fruit surface.

Why it happens

A fungus (and, on some stone fruit, bacteria too) that overwinters in infected buds, twig cankers and fallen debris. Spores are splashed by rain onto the new leaves and shoots, where they infect and kill small patches of tissue that then drop out.

Wet weather in spring and autumn drives it, particularly where foliage stays damp from rain, dew or overhead watering and air movement is poor.

Treating it

Prune out infected shoots and any cankered twigs, cutting back into healthy wood.
Rake up and destroy fallen leaves and prunings to remove sources of spores.
Water at the base rather than over the leaves, especially on laurel hedges.
Keep plants growing strongly with mulch and adequate water so they replace lost leaves.
On valued stone fruit, a copper-based spray at leaf fall and again at bud swell can help.

Keeping it away

Prune for an open habit so leaves dry quickly after rain.
Clear fallen leaves and dead wood each year.
Avoid overhead watering and clipping laurel while it is wet.
Keep trees and hedges healthy and unstressed.

Who gets it

Cherries, plums, peaches and other Prunus, and very commonly cherry laurel hedging.