By Clark L. Robertson LSU AgCenter Horticulture Agent It’s a sign of the times: spots and dots appearing before our very eyes, seemingly overnight. No, it’s not your vision failing you, and there’s no need to clean your glasses. We’re dealing with something that’s been lurking for the right time to show itself. I thought we might have escaped it this year thanks to our drier- than-normal start to summer. But as soon as the daily showers returned, so did the spots and dots. I’m referring to the annual appearance of Cercospora leaf spot on our hydrangeas and crape myrtles. Cercospora is a genus of fungi that includes many plant pathogenic species causing foliar leaf spots and blights. Two we see each year are leaf spot of hydrangea and crape myrtle. Not-so-luckily for us, warm, moist environments are perfect for disease development.
