Leaf Spot Leaf Diseases of Blueberry W.O. Cline, Extension Plant Pathologist Leaf spot diseases cause considerable damage each year to blueberries in North Carolina.
Most damage is caused by anthracnose and septoria leaf spots.
Variation occurs between cultivars and between growth flushes, with the most infection occurring on the earliest flush of growth, and little or none on the last flush of growth in late summer. Most commercial blueberry plantings in eastern North Carolina are affected with Gloeosporium leaf spot which can cause severe defoliation and reduction in yield. This disease can produce flecking, leaf anthracnose and stem lesions. Gloeosporium leaf spot was first described as a stem and leaf fleck disease of blueberry. Symptoms first appear as small reddish flecks on young leaves and stems of succulent shoots.