Black Elder tan spots on leaves

[zardoz]

[align=left]Hi there, I have a Black Beauty Elder - Sambucus nigra "Gerda" and about a month ago it developed tan spots on its leaves. See Pic. The leaves then turned yellow and died and the plant has lost about half its leaves now. I have tried putting on some garden sulphur fungicide miticid on the leaves but it seems to have little effect. Does anyone know what this is and the best way to*treat it? [/align]
Thanks
Richard

[RENITA]

[align=left]BLACK BEAUTY is a cultivar of common or European elder. It is particularly noted for its dark purple foliage and its lemon-scented, pink flowers. It is a large, upright, deciduous shrub that typically matures to 8-15’ tall. Height after 8 years is about 10’ tall unless pruned shorter. Compound pinnate leaves are dark purple and generally retain that color throughout most of the growing season. Young stems are also purple, with older branches being a rough, gray-brown. Some susceptibility to canker, powdery mildew, leaf spot, borers, spider mites and aphids. Branches are susceptible to damage from high winds or from heavy snow/ice in winter.[/align]

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[align=left]RENITA[/align]

[Newt]

Hi Richard,

Some good info from Renita.* Your plant appears to have a leaf spot disease.* I have been searching for info for a long time and haven't found much that is specific.* I did find at one site that Cercospora Depazeoides is one fungi that you might see.
http://www.ecoflora.co.uk/search_pat...%20depazeoides
http://nzfungi.landcareresearch.co.n...&NAMEPKey=1297

Newt