What is plum pox?
Plum pox is a plant disease that infects stone fruit trees including peach, nectarine, plum, apricot and cherries. The disease, which is also called Sharka (the Slavic name for plum pox) disease, is caused by the plum pox virus (PPV). It is considered the most serious virus disease of stone fruit trees. Plum pox is spread from tree to tree by aphids and through infected budwood used for grafting, which is the normal method of propagating stone fruit trees. Symptoms of plum pox infection include leaf and fruit yellowing, fruit deformation, and premature fruit drop. A tree suffering from plum pox can go into serious decline, especially if the tree also becomes infected with other viruses. What does plum pox mean to me as a consumer? Presently, plum pox is not an issue for consumers. In the U.S., PPV has only been found in a few places in Pennsylvania and is being eradicated by destroying the infected and surrounding trees. Pennsylvania is not a major plum-producing area, so the consumer
