Canker(?) on Young American Persimmon

[Chooj]

Hello.

I was looking over my young persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) today and found an ugly, moist, black canker on one of its branches. The tree is about 12' tall and six years old. I have never seen this before. It kind of looks like an anthracnose canker on a sycamore but black and moist. I've attached two photos which, unfortunately, don't show much - cheap camera.

Any idea what this is and what I should do?

Thanks.
Chooj

P.S. We live in Western Oregon, so this tree is growing well out of its native range.

 

[sawyerDave]

Canker

Around here persimmons are worthless, so I would say with tongue firmly in cheek, rub the canker on as many other persimmons as you can find!:greenchainsaw:

 

[Ed Roland]

Prune the diseased canker off and send it to your local extension agency. Its prob. $10 or so to have the causal identified. Armed with that knowledge you can monitor the tree for future infection.

In the mean time try to find the stress that has allowed disease to infect in the first place. Healthy trees can take care of themselves.

 

[Themadd1]

If it is not a major branch on the tree just cut it back to the next bud scale on that branch. If it is a young tree keep an eye on the branch and prune off the large sprout over the next few years to get the apical leader to regrow.

 

[Chooj]

Mystery Solved

I took a twig with this canker to an OSU Extension agent and found it's what's left after cicadas lay there eggs.

Chooj

 

[Ed Roland]

Chooj, good stuff man. That is how this business operates. We pull that sample, including the transition zone, and send it to the pathologist. Once the causal is identified we can begin treatment. Or... you can always post an ambiguous sentence describing an obscure specie with an undescribed symptom and recieve a diagnosis from "that guy".