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Extension > Garden > Diagnose a problem > What's wrong with my plant? > Fruit > Blueberry > Unusual growth on stem or branches

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Blueberry > Stems/branches > Unusual growth on stem or branches

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  • Image: Iron Chlorosis
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Crown Gall
Agrobacterium tumefaciens

  • Galls (tumor like overgrowth) occur on roots, where the stem meets the soil, and occasionally higher on stems
  • Young galls are soft, light green in color, with no bark
  • Older galls are brown to black and are hard
  • Severely infected plants may be stunted
  • Severely infected plants should be removed and destroyed.
  • More information on Crown Gall
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  • Image: Honeycrisp Leaf Mottle Disorder 1
  • Image: Honeycrisp Leaf Mottle Disorder 2
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Witches Broom
Pucciniastrum goeppertianum

  • Broom-like clusters of swollen reddish brown stems and small leaves develop in the plant
  • Young stems within brooms are initially yellow or reddish, but later become brown and shiny, and, eventually, dry and cracked
  • Most common on blueberries in northern Minnesota planted near fir trees
  • Will cause needle yellowing and loss in nearby fir trees
  • Infected blueberry plants should be removed and destroyed
  • More information on Blueberry witches broom

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