Plant Diagnostic Clinic
573-882-3019

Disease resistant and tolerant plant varieties

Disease resistance or tolerance does not mean the plant is immune to a disease and will show no symptoms. Many varieties listed as disease resistant will show reduced symptom development of a specific disease when compared to a susceptible variety. Also, some types of disease resistance are only effective against certain strains or races of the disease causing pathogen. Consequently, a variety listed here as resistant may still acquire the disease under certain circumstances.

Ash

Relatively resistant to anthracnose

Green ash

Tolerant of ash yellows

Green ash often tolerates infection without progressive decline

Azalea

Most resistant to phytophthora root rot

Formosa
Fakir
Corrine Murrah
Indica hybrids as a group

Note
Extremes in soil moisture often affect susceptibility.

Callery pear (flowering ornamental pear)

Highly susceptible to fire blight

'Aristocrat'
'Autumn Blaze'
'Capital'
'Fauriei'
'Redspire'

Moderately susceptible to fire blight

'Cleveland Select'
'Earlyred'
'Whitehouse'

Moderately resistant to fire blight

'Bradford'

Cotoneaster

Resistant to fire blight

Cotoneaster adpressus
Cotoneaster apiculatua
Cotoneaster dielsiana
Cotoneaster foveolatus
Cotoneaster franchetii
Cotoneaster integerrimus
Cotoneaster nitens
Cotoneaster zabelii

Cottonwood

Susceptible to Mycosphaerella (Septoria) leaf spot and stem canker

All native North American species of poplar and aspen

Note
Check with local nurseryman or catalogs for information about resistant clones.

Crabapple

Resistant to cedar-apple rust, fire blight and scab

Adams
Adirondack
Autumn Glory
Beauty
Centurion
Color Parade
David
Dolgo
Donald Wyman
Doubloons
Gibbs Golden Gage
Golden Raindrops
Indian Summer
Jewelberry
Molten Lava
Narragansett
Pink Princess
Prairiefire
Prof. Sprenger
Robinson
Sargentii
Strawberry Parfait
Sugar Tyme
White Angel
White Cascade

Note
Check with nurserymen or catalogs for other varieties. Resistance may vary under different growing conditions.

Elm

Somewhat resistant to black leaf spot

Chinese
Japanese
Siberian elms

Resistant to black leaf spot

Dynasty
Groeneveld
Homestead
Jacan
Pioneer
Regal
Sapporo Autumn Gold
Thompson
Urban

Juniper

Resistant to phomopsis tip blight and rusts

Juniperus chinensis cv. Foemina and var. sargentii
Juniperus communis cv. Aureospica cv. Suecica and var. saxatilis
Juniperus sabina
Juniperus squamata var. fargesii
Juniperus virginiana cv. Tripartita

Lilac

Severely affected by powdery mildew

Syringa vulgaris, common lilac

Pine

Very susceptible to brown spot

Short needle Scots pine varieties from France and Spain

Resistant to brown spot

Long needle Scots pine varieties from Germany and Austria

Resistant to dothistroma needle blight

Scots pine

Resistant to pine wilt

Shortleaf
Jack
Eastern white pines

Plum

Resistant to black knot

President

Slightly susceptible to black knot

Formosa
Shiro
Santa Rosa

Moderately susceptible to black knot

Fellenburg
Methley
Milton
Bradshaw
Early Italian

Highly susceptible to black knot

Stanley
Damson
Bluefree
Shropshire

Not susceptible to plum pockets

Commercial varieties from European and Asian sources

Pyracantha (firethorn)

Resistant to fire blight

Pyracantha coccinea cv. 'Sensation'
Pyracantha koidzumii and cv. 'Santa Cruz Prostrata'
'San Jose' hybrid
'Shawnee' hybrid

Somewhat resistant to scab

Pyracantha coccinea 'Government Red'
'Prostrata'
'Rutgers'
P. koidzumii 'Bella'
'Duval'
'Santa Cruz Prostrata'
'Flava'
'Shawnee' hybrid
'Firey Cascade' hybrid

Rhododendron

Resistant cultivars to phytophthora root rot

Caroline
Professor Hugo deVries
Red Head

Note
Extremes in soil moisture often affect susceptibility.

Rose

Susceptible to black spot

Yellow or gold flowering types generally are more susceptible than red or pink ones

Resistant to black spot

Rosa rugosa cultivars and hybrids
Rosa wichuriana cultivars

Note
Because of the wide variety of cultivars and hybrids available, consult catalogs or your local nurseryman for more information.

Susceptible to powdery mildew

Species and cultivars differ widely

Spruce

Relatively resistant to rhizosphaera needlecast

Norway spruce

Sycamore

Highly susceptible to anthracnose

Native sycamores

Resistant to anthracnose

London plane trees, but hybridization with susceptible sycamores can produce susceptible seedlings

Resistant clonal lines to anthracnose

'Bloodgood'
'Columbia'
'Liberty'

Updated 10/9/07