Many of the Eastern Red Cedars (Juniperus virginiana) along the Upland Trail are infected with Cedar-Apple Rust (Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae).
This fungus has two hosts: cedars/junipers and apples/crabapples. In
late Spring, brown galls that have been hanging on cedar limbs all
Winter begin to become more gelatinous and grow orange tentacles.
Spores are released by these tentacles and when they land on apple
trees, they start the next phase of their complicated life cycle. These
spores can travel 2 to 3 miles on the wind. On the apple trees the
spores will grow into rust-colored spots on the leaves or apples. These
spots are actually cup-shaped structures full of new spores. These
spores stick to insects that will transport them to new cedars, where
they will grow into a hard, brown ball, starting the process all over
again. 5/27/16 (Wolf. Oesterreich)
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