The following question was sent to the P&PDL diagnosticians here at Purdue University:

Question: I have a Bradford Pear tree that is approximately 5 years old. This year it flowered OK and sprouted some beautiful deep green leaves. Now I have noticed some pretty severe deformities in the leaves. They are shriveling up and not normal looking at all. The tree is starting to appear thin in the foliage. Can you comment on what kinds of diseases affect pear trees here in New England, and how best to treat them?

Answer: Bradford pears will develop blackening of leaves from root stress problems (drought, too much water, root injury, etc). This is their form of leaf scorch. Fire blight is also a disease that affects Bradford pear. A sample would help determine the problem.

You may want to review the publication on Fire Blight:

BP-30 Ornamental Diseases - Fire Blight

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