I Love Rust: Sometimes

I Love Rust: Sometimes
Disease Digest
Authors
Jim Chatfield
Published on
July 4, 2016
Rust diseases of plants may of course be devastating, from black stem rust of wheat which
contributed to famine after World War I to cedar apple rusts which must be controlled by
orchardists and (sometimes) landscapers today. Yet, it must be admitted, they are fascinating.
They can be autoecious (occurring on only one host plant) such as may-apple rust commonly
seen in spring woodlands, but often they must complete their life cycles on wildly different hosts,
such as wheat & barberry, juniper & apple.
About a month ago I came upon a rust disease I had not knowingly seen before, on an
elderberry (Sambucussp.) in a swampy area in Mohican State Park in north-central Ohio. I was
attracted to it from maybe a hundred feet away when I spied bright-orange club shaped areas
on the stems. I sought it out, stumbling through the swamps to mobs of spectators (including my
wife) warning of everything from wet shoes to snakes of spectacular imaginations, I arrived to
confirm it was rust – oh joy.
As far as I know this rust disease is not a serious issue for elderberry growers (a great
ornamental and food plant), but contact me ([email protected]) if it is so. The fungus in this
case is Puccinia bolleyanaand the alternate hosts are sedges (Carexspp.). Elderberries of
course have many uses, such as:
Elderberry wine and jams
Elderflower fragrances used in liqueurs such as the French St. Germain and the Swedish
akvavit and along with the more powerful flavors of star anise and fennel in Sambuca
A Romanian drink named “suc de soc”, commercialized Fanta Shokata in Romania (at least so
says Wikipedia).
Ornamentals with cultivar names from ‘Black Lace’ to ‘Madonna’. Hmm.
And of course, elder-wands, circa Harry Potter.
But this rust fungus is neat to look at and learn about. So, at least when it does not interfere with
people’s livelihoods and pleasures, I Love Rust! And note the final picture, taken of a bridge in
Massachusetts. We always talk in plant disease circles that rust pustules such as those seen on
this elderberry are "signs" of the pathogen as opposed to symptoms such as leaf damage and
yield loss. A Rust Sign indeed!
rust disease
Sambucus
elderberry
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