leaf spot

Definition of leaf spot

: any of various plant diseases characterized by discolored often circular spots on the leaves

Examples of leaf spot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Many lose lower leaves and develop leaf spots during the summer. — Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, "Let healthy cherry tomato plants continue to produce," 24 Aug. 2019 While true bay rarely has pests, keep an eye on your plant to check for SOD symptoms such as dying leaf tips or dark leaf spots. — Pam Peirce, SFChronicle.com, "You can grow your own bay laurel, and now’s a great time to plant one," 15 Nov. 2019 Bipolaris leaf spot, which limits the photosynthetic area of the plant, was widespread in Tennessee, said Katy Kilbourne, a plant pathologist with the state’s agriculture department. — chicagotribune.com, "Farmers struggle as hemp harvest winds down," 15 Nov. 2019 Phlox are susceptible to several fungal diseases that start at the bottom and move upwards, such as powdery mildew or leaf spots. — Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, "Garden Q&A: The very hungry caterpillars and protecting the phlox," 15 Aug. 2019 Newer varieties appear more resistant to fungal leaf spots that plagued zinnias during hot, wet months. — Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, "Zinnias can be added to summer gardens in Florida," 27 July 2019 Look for plants that appear healthy with nice, green leaves, not yellow or brown and spotted foliage, which may indicate they’re infected with a fungus called Septoria leaf spot. — Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, "How to Plant Black-Eyed Susans," 8 Aug. 2019 Larger cactus and traditional flowered types, — which usually have to be started from seed — develop some leaf spotting but can grow and flower through the summer. — Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, "Zinnias can be added to summer gardens in Florida," 27 July 2019 The department says anyone who has purchased a rhododendron from Walmart or Rural King since April should monitor the plants for leaf spots and dying branches or limbs. — USA TODAY, "Saving whales, Manson murder house: News from around our 50 states," 17 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'leaf spot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about leaf spot

Dictionary Entries near leaf spot

Statistics for leaf spot

Last Updated

7 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Leaf spot.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leaf%20spot. Accessed 13 December 2019.

WORD OF THE DAY

tractable

easily led, controlled, or managed

Test Your Vocabulary

Semantic Drift Quiz

Which of the following was once a synonym for fun?

pear hoax
golf dutch

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.