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