Western Gall Rust

Endocronartium harknessii

Hosts
Pine

Distribution and Disease Cycle

Current year's shoots are infected when spores are dispersed in May and June from galls on branches and stems. Galls form in the summer following the year of infection, with sporulation not occurring until the subsequent spring. Galls can weaken stems, increasing the incidence of wind breakage. Extensive gall formation can cause tree stunting or mortality.

Symptoms and signs

Infection by western gall rust results in round or pear-shaped galls on branches or stems of susceptible pine hosts. In spring, the gall surface ruptures, releasing bright orange spores. Cankers sometimes form on main stems near galls; in some cases infection can result in production of witches'-brooms.
Western Gall Rust
Western Gall Rust 2
Control
Prune branch galls or remove trees with main stem galls. Avoid planting susceptible pine near diseased, natural stands. There are no chemical controls registered for Western gall rust.