Cercospora leaf spot: A common culprit in the Louisiana garden

Crape myrtles are staples of Louisiana landscapes. This time of year, they often are affected by a disease called Cercospora leaf spot.
Crape myrtles are staples of Louisiana landscapes. This time of year, they often are affected by a disease called Cercospora leaf spot.

Take a look outside, and you might see that your crape myrtle’s leaves are turning shades of yellow, orange and red and falling to the ground. Is this a sign that autumn is near?

Not quite. This time of year, it’s more likely you are witnessing something called Cercospora leaf spot.

“This is a very common disease we see late in the summer on crape myrtles,” said Clark Robertson, an LSU AgCenter hort…