{"id":2909,"date":"2013-11-12T10:05:52","date_gmt":"2013-11-12T15:05:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=2909"},"modified":"2013-11-12T10:05:52","modified_gmt":"2013-11-12T15:05:52","slug":"seeing-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/seeing-spots\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeing Spots?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Have you noticed anything strange while raking leaves this fall? If you look closely at some of your maple leaves you might notice a different color than the usual yellows and reds.<\/p>\n

Some maple leaves have black spots on them, as if they\u2019ve been speckled with tar. Fear not, tar isn\u2019t raining from the sky.<\/p>\n

The black spots on maple leaves, often referred to as tar spot, are actually a fungi. The fungal disease is of the genus Rhytisma<\/em>, and only affects the leaves of maple trees. Sugar maples, red maples, and Norway maples are susceptible among others in the genus Acer<\/em>. Fortunately this disease is purely aesthetic and does not affect the overall health of the tree. However, some leaves that are heavily infected might drop off the tree early.<\/p>\n

If you notice the fungi on a maple tree in your yard it is actually quite easy to manage. The fungi overwinter on fallen leaves, waiting for the warm spring weather to ripen the spores. When the spores are released they float up and blow in the wind hoping to land on a new maple leaf host. To reduce the number of spores floating around it is best to rake up infected leaves in the fall and destroy them. Maybe an extra bit of motivation to rake up those leaves!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you noticed anything strange while raking leaves this fall? If you look closely at some of your maple leaves you might notice a different color than the usual yellows and reds. Some maple leaves have black spots on them, as if they\u2019ve been speckled with tar. Fear not, tar isn\u2019t raining from the sky. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nature-notes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-KV","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3301,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/meet-the-maples\/","url_meta":{"origin":2909,"position":0},"title":"Meet the Maples","author":"Rosemary","date":"March 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s maple sugar season: that time of year when we tap trees for their sweet sap, and boil it down to make syrup and other treats. The star of the show is the famous sugar maple (Acer saccharum), but you can spot many other equally stunning maples in Massachusetts. Maple\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"maple sugaring","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/03\/maplesugaring-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1678,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/much-ado-about-maple\/","url_meta":{"origin":2909,"position":1},"title":"Much Ado About Maple","author":"Hillary T.","date":"February 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s a seasonal rite of passage in New England. By mid-February, maple trees across the region are affixed with silver buckets ready and waiting to catch the sweet sap as it drips through the tap. Looking to learn more about maple sugaring, and how to get involved? Keep reading. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2013\/02\/sugaring.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":989,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/the-science-behind-foliage\/","url_meta":{"origin":2909,"position":2},"title":"The Science Behind Foliage","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"October 11, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"By now, we're well into foliage season, and many of us have likely done some leaf peeping, as it is shaping up to be a year of spectacular colors (see Foliage Forecast below for why). When you\u2019re checking out nature\u2019s painterly display, do you ever wonder why the leaves change\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/10\/NicoleLemay.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13200,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-take-it-or-leaves-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":2909,"position":3},"title":"Take 5: Take It Or Leave(s) It","author":"Ryan D.","date":"October 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Fall foliage is coming in slowly but surely across Massachusetts. Pops of red, orange, and gold pepper the forests and hillsides as nature begins to wind down for the impending winter. To help you enjoy the fall colors, here are five photos from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red Maple Leaves \u00a9 Renee Sack","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/10\/919Renee_Sack9853.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/10\/919Renee_Sack9853.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/10\/919Renee_Sack9853.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/10\/919Renee_Sack9853.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3790,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/keep-your-eyes-peeled-for-this-pest\/","url_meta":{"origin":2909,"position":4},"title":"Keep Your Eyes Peeled for this Pest","author":"Rosemary","date":"August 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The non-native Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is a serious threat to our maples and many other hardwood trees. The larvae dig deep into the heartwood; infected trees cannot be saved. Tens of thousands of trees have already been lost in the northern and central US. In fact, it's such a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/07\/ALB-403W.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10540,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/maple-madness-2018\/","url_meta":{"origin":2909,"position":5},"title":"Maple Madness 2018","author":"Hillary T.","date":"February 14, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Maple sugaring is about to kick in to high gear and several of our wildlife sanctuaries are ready to celebrate the sweet season. Find out how you can take part\u2014and be sure to register early to guarantee a spot! Boston Nature Center, Mattapan During Maple Sugaring\u00a0on February 24, tap, collect,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/02\/sugar-sap600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/02\/sugar-sap600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/02\/sugar-sap600.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2909"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2909\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2913,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2909\/revisions\/2913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}