Leaves above the canker wilt, and branches may die. In chronic cases leaves are small, and dieback appears slowly. The tree may die in from 2 to 4 years. No control is known, but maintaining the vigor of the trees with adequate water during dry periods and fertilization in the spring may help. Nectria canker, Nectria cinnabarina.
Cankers start as depressed areas on the bark which quickly girdle twigs, branches, or trunks.
Leaves, beyond the point of attack, wilt but remain attached to the tree. Eventually everything beyond the canker dies. Either the Nectria or wilt fungus or a girdling root may be suspected in cases where one branch of a tree turns red in the fall before the rest of the tree. Pruning well back of cankered area and disposing of infected wood removes a source of new infection. Shoestring root rot, Armillaria mellea.