My recently planted Adasonia digitata has some black spots showing up on the leaves, which are more like burn marks than something growing on the surface like mold.  The second photo shows how some of the black spots can be seen "penetrating" the leaves, since it can be seen in the same spot on both sides.  I have also noted some leaf curl.  I attempted to treat with a systemic (Bayer Tree & Shrub, Active Ingredient: 2.94% Imidacloprid).  But have still noticed some little black spots and leaf curl on the newest leaves to open (it continues to grow despite the fact that we just entered Winter a couple of days ago).  I treated a couple of weeks ago, and know that the existing foliage wouldn't change, but expected to see improvements with the new leaves which have opened.

Any thoughts on diagnosis and/or treatments?

Looks like normal senescence to me. These trees usually defoliate this time of year in the northern hemisphere. My A. za just dropped all its foliage over a one week period. Normally, it’s dormant by the last week of November, but mild winter helped to keep a full canopy on until just now.

It’s going to start to drop its leaves Tracy

 

It will be just fine

 

 

This tree seems so slow in my garden.  This year the season's new leaf buds are just now very slowly opening as it comes out of it's winter senescence.  It has been late in past year's as well which makes me wonder if it just needs more Spring heat than my garden's climate will provide.  May was particularly gray and despite record breaking heat recently in Southern California, my garden has mostly remained under the influence of eddy flow induced marine layers the last few days.  I'm curious when other people on the mainland of the US see their Adasonia digitata come out of their winter slumber?  If you are in California, that would provide an even more pertinent perspective.  I've been considering a replacement planting for the last couple of spring's after looking at sticks for so long.  See below for what the rest of the limbs look like with tiny buds hinting at a green explosion that is instead occurring in slow motion ... very slow motion at that.

Adansonia is a tree planted for your kids/grandkids in this climate-very slow growing here.

On 6/19/2021 at 7:12 AM, Peter said:

Adansonia is a tree planted for your kids/grandkids in this climate-very slow growing here.

totally

On 6/19/2021 at 7:12 AM, Peter said:

Adansonia is a tree planted for your kids/grandkids in this climate-very slow growing here.

Peter, are you growing any of the Adasonia species here?  Sounds like you have had personal experience with the speed or lack thereof with them growing in our area.  I was noting that many other deciduous trees have already dropped most of their leaves now and yet this is still holding leaves in mid-December.  As a follow up question, if you are or were growing it, did you see the same late to open buds and late to lose leaves pattern I seem to be experiencing?

I'm not growing it personally, I just have heard how slow it is here, and I don't think anyone has gotten it up to any size here yet, although I could be wrong about that part.