Brown rot is a fungal disease of tree fruit, caused by the fungi Monilinia laxa and M. fructigena. The two fungi are very closely related and indistinguishable to the naked eye. M. laxa more commonly causes blossom wilt on pears and stone fruit, and a specific form, M. laxa f. sp. mali is restricted to apples. M. fructigena can cause
A fungal disease that can affect apples, pears, plums, cherries and some related fruit and ornamental trees, causing a brown, spreading rot in the fruits, often with light brown pustules of spores visible.
Many fruit trees and their ornamental cultivarsare affected, including apples, pears, plums, cherries, nectarines, peaches, quinces andapricots.
Rotting fruit are found from mid-summer onwards.
