The symptoms progress toward the base of the leaf in an undulating front. Defoliation is not usually a symptom on red oak. However, water sprouts or epicormic shoots do develop on red oak as this disease progresses. In Georgia, the bacteria were successfully isolated from twigs November to January but not from February through July. In late June or July, olive green discoloration of leaf margin develops and the margin dies.
Affected leaves remain attached.
The leaves at branch tips are the last to scorch or may not scorch at all. Trees with a history of scorch are slow to leaf out and develop fewer leaves and smaller leaves than scorch-free trees. Branch dieback and tree death eventually occurs. Severely scorched leaves fall, leaving tufts of leaves at branch ends. Branch dieback occurs.