Bark Is Peeling Off of Fruit Trees

While shedding bark is normal for some tree species, bark peeling on fruit trees is often a sign of damage or disease. Bark loss can stunt fruit tree growth, reduce vigor and cause tree death. Various types of diseases and other factors can affect a fruit tree's bark and cause it to peel away from the trunk.

Sun Scald

  1. Sun scald is normally a problem in late winter and affects the south and southwest sides of trees. Fruit trees are more susceptible to sun scald than other types of trees because of their thin bark. The warm sun heats one side of the tree, making the bark tissue less cold hardy and resulting in inactive cells. These cells can freeze and die at night as temperatures drop, leading to discolored and sunken bark in late spring. Fruit trees affected by sun scald have damaged bark that cracks and sloughs off. To prevent sun scaled, tree wraps or paint are used to insulate tree trunks in late fall.


  1. Phytophthora root rot and crown rot commonly affect fruit trees. Wet, poorly-drained areas of the yard or orchard are breeding ground for this disease. Symptoms of phytophthora vary by tree species, but some common symptoms include girdling of the trunk, stunted growth, yellowing of leaves and tree death. To avoid phytophthora, trees are planted in areas with well-draining soil and tree species are planted that are less prone to phytophthora, such as pears.


  1. Psorosis mainly affects grapefruit and orange trees, with scaling and peeling of the bark as the most common symptom. Early symptoms include small bubbles on the bark that gradually become larger and break, forming loose scales, and in later stages the bark becomes soaked with gum and dies. Psorosis is a virus transmitted via old budwood or contaminated grafting tools. The use of disease-free budwood helps prevent transmission of the disease. In older trees with psorosis symptoms, scraping away infected bark helps stimulate a wound callus and temporary recovery. However, a psorosis-infected tree is less productive and replacing the tree is recommended.


  1. Excortis kills tree bark, causing drying, cracking and thin strips of bark to peel off and gum droplets form under the loose bark. It is most common among older plantings, as new guidelines keep the budwood disease free. Fruit trees infected with this viroid experience stunted growth and less productivity, but the trees rarely die. It is best to remove infected trees, as pruning tools transmit the viroid unless they are disinfected with bleach to kill the disease.