Shrub ID and Diagnosis

Question: I have border hedges along the north side of my yard. I would appreciate help with two things:
First, I have failed at identifying the shrub species through online tools. Can you identify with the attached photos?
Second, the shrub appears to have a disease spreading and killing branches. I have noticed this both last spring and this spring. I have attempted to prune diseased branches, but have not stopped the spread. Do the attached pictures show disease? If so, what would you recommend to slow the spread?

responder: Deb Kroon  Replied May 01, 2023, 11:08 PM EDT
response: Good evening Caleb and thank you for reaching out to ask2.extension. Does this have orange/red berries?  If so it is  bittersweet- American or Oriental depending on the color of the capsules (which are the leafy thing the berries are attached to). It is listed as an invasive species in Minnesota and needs to be destroyed.  I am wondering if it has spread in your yard.  if you google MN noxious weeds, you will get a good picture of it. I’m sorry, but you need to get rid of it, unless the picture is not what you have.  If it’s not, get back to me no I’ll do some more research.

responder: The Question Asker Replied May 02, 2023, 4:13 PM EDT
response: Thanks for your quick response. After looking at some pictures of Bittersweet, I'm not convinced that is what I have. These hedges were present when I purchased the house two years ago and are planted in a row with even spacing along the north edge of my yard, so it is unlikely they spread naturally. The leaves are smooth-edged with no teeth and grow up the branches in groups of 2-3 coming out in each direction, I have touched the shrubs with no toxic effects on my skin, and they do not grow berries like I see on the Bittersweet pictures online. I have seen the same species of shrub in other yards in my neighborhood on walks, which have grown larger than mine since they have more spacing (over 12' tall compared to 7' for mine). I have attached a couple more pictures that will hopefully help with identification. The row is along the edge of my vegetable garden, so you may see some dead vines from last year's squash.

responder: Deb Kroon  Replied May 02, 2023, 5:27 PM EDT
response: Hi Caleb.  I agree it’s not bittersweet.  Does the hedge get berries at all?  If so what color  are they. From the last pictures it could be a huckleberry.  Can you tell me what it’s doing?  Is the damage only on the branches and leaves?  How much of the hedge is affected by what ever is going on. What has happened to the parts you have cut back? I’m sorry, but I am having a hard time identifying the hedge and that is important to find out what’s going on.

responder: The Question Asker Replied May 02, 2023, 9:41 PM EDT
response: Thanks for your quick response. After looking at some pictures of Bittersweet, I'm not convinced that is what I have. These hedges were present when I purchased the house two years ago and are planted in a row with even spacing along the north edge of my yard, so it is unlikely they spread naturally. The leaves are smooth-edged with no teeth and grow up the branches in groups of 2-3 coming out in each direction, I have touched the shrubs with no toxic effects on my skin, and they do not grow berries like I see on the Bittersweet pictures online. I have seen the same species of shrub in other yards in my neighborhood on walks, which have grown larger than mine since they have more spacing (over 12' tall compared to 7' for mine). I have attached a couple more pictures that will hopefully help with identification. The row is along the edge of my vegetable garden, so you may see some dead vines from last year's squash.

responder: Deb Kroon  Replied May 03, 2023, 2:51 PM EDT
response: Thank you Steve.  I got four different answers also.  I was so confused.  I will work with that.  Sent from my iPad On May 2, 2023, at 6:51 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: Deb Kroon  Replied May 04, 2023, 4:04 PM EDT
response: Good afternoon Caleb.   I am thinking you have chokecherry or cotoneaster.  I am leaning toward a chokecherry. it’s really hard to tell with the pictures.  I am also leaning towards a canker in either variety. If you google valsa canker, you will get some photos of what that particular disease looks like on the fruit trees.  If you have a chokecherry that would fit.  Scroll through the articles and see if anything fits. The site  ag.ndsu.edu>trees has some great pictures of the chokecherry that you should be able to determine that it is your shrub.  There is a list of diseases, but I was struggling finding pictures. Cotoneaster.  I have attached a photo of Botryosphaeria Canker.  It is a disease that could be what’s going on with the woody part of the hedge.  If you go to extension.umn.edu and search for Cotoneaster you will bring up a number of articles concerning things that go wrong.  I’m hoping you can find something that marches what happens with your hedge.  It will also give you ideas as to what to do. I’m sorry this has been a hard one to identify by the pictures.  If I can be of more help, please reach out.  Another source for you would be your county extension.  They may have someone more knowledgeable.