Later, as the fungus begins to produce spores, the leaf surface appears silvery or gray. Diseased leaves eventually die and fall off the tree. These leaves are replaced by a second growth of foliage, which rarely is infected by the fungus. Blossoms, young fruit, and succulent shoots also may be infected. Because infected blossoms and fruit crop rapidly, symptoms on these parts may be more difficult to observe.
Extensive defoliation can lead to a reduced fruit crop the following year.
In addition, defoliation weakens trees and predisposes them to other diseases and to winter injury. In contrast to peach leaf curl, symptoms of plum pocket are most conspicuous on the fruit. Small, whitish spots develop on young plums soon after blossom. The spots enlarge and eventually cover the entire fruit. At this stage, the distorted plums have a red to grayish tint.