Orange spots???

I have found these orange spots on the trunk of one of my trident maples for several years. In the past the number was few, and I would scrape them away. This year it is much more prevalent, but only on this tree. I had a branch that died off last year.

On the shimpaku I have found these white spots, which seem to be increasing.

I've looked at both with a magnifying lens and see nothing but the round edges. Any ideas?

In the photo the orange spots look like little round balls.  Are they?

If they are and if you squish one of them, what do you get?

Do they move? Wash (rub) off?

If you do nothing, do they change in any way?


The white spots aren't as clear.  The one on the left looks as if it could be a wooly aphid or mealybug.  But I ask some of the same questions.

The orange spots are definitely balls. They don't seem to move or do anything, but there are more of them. They do not wash off, but are easily scraped off with the edge of almost anything. When squished (and this was not easy: they are so small) there seems to be a brownish substance inside. I took some photos, but I'm not sure how helpful they will be to you.

As to the white, they don't seem to move, but there are more of them: mostly on the underside and tips of the growth. They do not wash off, and are not easy to scrape off. Seems a little sticky in that when I picked them off with the tweezers, I had to push them off the tweezers (this was not true of the orange balls which wouldn't stick to anything). When squished, they just seem to be a 'burst' disk. Nothing inside as far as I could tell.

When checking the shimpaku, I also found what looks a little like a small gall. Again, I took a photo, but not sure if it will help. I didn't find any others, but others would be easy to miss. This one is less then a 1/2 cm. When squished it seemed to be solid inside, just a more pale green color.

Hope this helps. I would really don't want to lose either tree.

Squished orange balls, and white dots (they are less of a ball shape)


Gall shaped item on shimpaku


Thanks, Jim

The white spots on the Shimpaku are probably insects. Use a systemic insecticide, such as Ortho acephate or Bayer. The orange balls are probably fungus spores. Clean up, sterilize anything you scraped them with, more air & sun, spray with a fungicide.
Iris

The gall looks like a young juniper berry forming. The orange spots look to me like the fruiting bodies of a fungal infection under the bark. Good news and bad news. The orange ball look like they have erupted through the bark, can you tell if this is so?

The orange thingies might be the fruiting bodies of Nectria canker. I cannot say that it is from your photo, but your having lost a branch to it last year is consistent with the way nectria canker works. You should take your tree to your local county extension agent or similar local horticultural authority to be sure.

If it is indeed nectria, your bonsai is almost certain to succumb to it. Hopefully you've been sterilizing your tools with each use so you haven't unwittingly spread it to others of your trees.

Meanwhile learn as much as you can about 'netria canker' with Google's (or Bing's, or etc.) help.

I think Iris and the others are right.  Sorry.

Thank you all for the information. Carolee

Hi the orange ones look very much like coral spot but this normally grows on dead wood??

At a guess the white ones could be scale insects, try and turn one over and have a look to see if it has a dome like shell.

Regards

John

After reading up on netaria canker, I'm sure that is it. The tree already had deadwood when I acquired it more than five years ago. This past winter, I worked on it, and exposed more of the hardwood, taking off the bark, and doing major work on the deadwood. I'm sure now that it has had the canker from the beginning, and the work I did only hastened the fruiting process. I know now that I won't be able to save the maple, and I have to dispose of it, to make sure the other maples and elms (most of my collection) are safe.  

I will have to spend time sterilizing all my tools, including all the carving bits. A lot of work, but worth it. I'll be looking carefully at all the trees for the next few weeks. Again, a lot of work (time), but worth it.

I'm sure the shimpaku will be alright. I believe I have caught it in time.

I appreciate all the help. Carolee