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Planting Maple Next to Diseased Blue Spruce

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From: Pamela Nemeth City: western springs, IL
We recently removed a colorado blue spruce due to cytospora canker. We would like to plant a maple tree (esk sycamore maple) near where the colorado spruce was. Could the new maple become infected with the same fungal disease the spruce had? If so, what precautions should we take?
	Extension Message From: Jay Hayek Extension Specialist, Forestry Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences jhayek@illinois.edu
Hi Pamela: There are several species of Cytospora fungi and some of these species are host-specific, i.e., they only target one genus or species. Whereas other species of Cytospora can infect multiple species (i.e., willow, cottonwood, and aspen). Although some maples are susceptible to certain strains of Cytospora, I don't believe the species of Cytospora that infects spruce can infect maple. Most maple issues we see here in Illinois are due to Verticillium wilt and not Cytospora. Suggested Reading: http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/cytosporacankerornamentals.pdf
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