Do Viburnum Trilobum Leaves Burn in the Summer?

Species Description

• American cranberry bushes are deciduous and grow up to 12 feet tall with a 12-foot spread. Before dropping, their leaves change from green to red, orange, yellow or burgundy. Showy, 4-inch-wide, white flowers appear on the plants in late spring. The bushes produce bright-red clusters of fruits starting in September, and those fruits often remain on the plants through winter or early spring if they are not eaten by birds. American cranberry bushes grow well in various kinds of soil and are moderately tolerant of salt spray.

Excess Salt

• When leaves turn brown on American cranberry bushes, salty soil may be the cause, especially if the bushes are near a road, driveway or sidewalk that is treated with salt during winter. Symptoms of excessive soil salt appear on deciduous trees during the hot, dry weather of summer, when soil moisture is low. The leaf burn caused by salty soil can resemble other problems, such as nutrient imbalances. Most of a plant's salt damage, however, appears on the side of the plant that faces the road, driveway or sidewalk that is treated with salt.

Leaf Scorch

• Leaf scorch is caused by too much fertilizer or improper watering. During hot summer days, American cranberry bushes' leaves can develop dry, brown margins. In severe cases, entire leaves turn brown and die. Fertilizer contains salt, which ends up in soil; if the soil's salt content is high, it can damage the bushes' root systems. Providing too much water reduces the amount of oxygen in soil and drowns plant roots. No cure exists for leaves afflicted with leaf scorch, but proper watering can save unaffected tissues of the bushes.

Proper Care

• Preventing leaf problems in American cranberry bushes begins with proper care. The bushes are not drought-tolerant and need about 1 inch of water per week. They rarely require fertilizer. If you choose to fertilize them, however, do so in spring when plants begin active growth. Apply 1 cup of 5-10-5 fertilizer to each bush, and water each bush's soil to a depth of 6 inches to help the soil absorb the fertilizer and carry it to the root systems. When possible, plant American cranberry bushes away from roads, driveways and sidewalks where salt is used as a deicer in winter.