Fact Sheet

Cedar-Quince Rust

Do you have bright orange, gooey, or spiky growths on your cedar or juniper trees?

It may be from a condition known as cedar-quince rust. Small, pale-yellow spots appear on leaves that enlarge and turn orange-red over time.

The Problem

Cedar-quince rust spreads when galls on junipers release spores in the spring, which are carried by wind to infect nearby plants in the rose family. These spores land on new leaves, shoots, or fruit, especially during cool, wet weather, causing visible spots and swelling.

Symptoms and signs include:

Orange, jelly-like galls on junipers
Yellow-orange leaf spots on apples or hawthorns
Swollen or distorted leaves, twigs, or fruit
Early leaf drop in severe cases

Co-occurring issues or look-alike symptoms:
Cedar-apple rust, early leaf drop, brown, blotchy patches on young hawthorn leaves.

The Vineland Prescription

Apply 4 foliar treatments throughout the growing season.
Ensure lawn irrigation systems and sprinklers are not spraying foliage.
Prune to increase airflow through canopy to speed leaf drying.

The Prognosis

Four well-timed treatments during the growing season can provide strong protection against both cedar-quince rust and cedar-apple rust. While these infections don’t harm the overall health of hawthorn trees, the orange spores can be unsightly.

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