Fire blight

Fire blight is not present in the ACT or anywhere else in Australia.

About the disease

Fire blight (Erwiniaa amylovora) is a serious bacterial disease of pome fruit including apple, pear, quince and loquat. It gets its name from the burnt appearance of affected plants.

Why it is a problem

Symptoms of fire blight infection generally affect all parts of the plants from blossoms and leaves to branches and roots, eventually killing the tree. There is no cure for the infection.

What to look for

Look out for:

• new shoots and leaves that appear glassy and water soaked with an off-green colouring before turning brown or black
• shoots and branches that are bent into a crook shape at the end
• reddish brown streaks that can appear in the sap wood beneath the bark
• dry twigs, dead branches that appear burnt with dead leaves remaining on the tree.

How it spreads

Fire blight spreads rapidly in spring through pollinating insects (like bees), wind-driven rain and contaminated pruning tools.

Birds and animals can also pick up the bacterial ooze on their limbs and deposit it as they move from tree to tree.

Report sightings