I did a bit of interweb self-diagnosis and learned that there are a multiple number of causes of black spots forming on the leaves of any number of tree species. And while most are caused by fungi they all had different names, were caused by different fungi and some were benign and a few were bad news.
So I send a couple of photos along with a description to a retired forester pal of mine and he confirmed that as I suspected it was a consequence of the very wet spring we had. It is called Anthracnose. (Nice word of the day).
Anthracnose is a common fungal disease that affects shade trees and results in leaf spots, cupping or curling of leaves and early leaf drop. As a general rule it is more common in cool, wet spring weather. It is largely a cosmetic affliction and not a significant threat to the health of the tree. Moreover, I don’t have to treat it as the tree is otherwise perfectly healthy.
You can learn more about anthracnose here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Horticultural Extension.
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