Oak Fungus

[c.coyle]

Two disturbing articles on the appearance of a west coast oak-killing fungus in Western Pennsylvania. The AT, of course, is a couple hundred miles away in Eastern Pa.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04102/299351.stm

http://www.postgazette.com/breaking/20040525oakp6.asp

[dperry]

The fact that this disease has gotten into Florida is not good. There are enormous stands of live oaks, particularly in North Florida/South Georgia. Particularly on the coast, they are very important to the ecology there. That could be a major disaster.

On a positive note, they have imported beetles from both Japan and the Western U.S. that may help to stabilize the hemlock/adelgid situation:

http://216.109.117.135/search/cache?...yc=18222&icp=1

Scroll down to the fourth item, "Banking on a little lady. . .", and click on the link. This avoids the need to register.

[Percival]

The fungus attacks more than oaks. Found this list of susceptible plants....sad.

Known host plants:
Acer macrophyllum - Big leaf maple
Aesculus californica - California Buckeye
Arbutus menziesii - Madrone
Arctostaphylos manzanita - Manzanita
Chrysolepis chrysophylla - Golden chinquapin
Heteromeles arbutifolia - Toyon
Lithocarpus densiflorus - Tanoak
Lonicera hispidula - California honeysuckle
Pittosporum undulatum - Victoria box
Pseudotsuga menziesii - Douglas fir
Quercus agrifolia - Coast live oak
Quercus chrysolepsis - Canyon live oak
Quercus kelloggii - Black oak
Quercus parvula var. shrevei - Shreve's oak
Rhamnus californica - California coffeeberry
Rhamnus purshiana - Cascara

Rhododendron macrophyllum - Rhododendron
Rhododendron spp. - Rhododendron
Rubus spectabilis - Salmon berry
Rhus diversiloba - Poison oak
Sequoia sempervirens - Coast redwood
Trientalis latifolia - Western starflower
Umbellularia californica - California bay laurel
Vaccinium ovatum - Huckleberry
Viburnum x bodnantense - Arrowwood
Viburnum tinus

Potential host plants:
Arctostaphylos uvaursi - Kinnikinnick
Camellia spp. - Camellia
Carpinus spp. - Hornbeam
Castanopsis chrysolepsis - Chinquapin
Cotoneaster spp. - Cotoneaster
Gaultheria procumbens - Wintergreen
Gaultheria shallon - Salal
Hedera spp. - Ivy
Ilex aquifolium - English holly
Kalmia latifolia - Mountain laurel
Leucothoe spp. - Leucothoe
Nandina spp. - Heavenly bamboo
Pachysandra spp. - Pachysandra
Pieris spp. - Pieris
Prunus spp. - Cherry laurel
Quercus garryana - Oregon white oak
Quercus palustris - Pin oak
Quercus petraea - Durmast oak
Quercus robur - English oak
Quercus rubra - Northern red oak
Rhododendron maximum

Rhododendron 'Cunningham's White'
Rhododendron 'P.J.M'
Rhododendron 'Unique'
Rhododendron 'Nova zembla' Syringa spp. - Lilac
Vaccinium vistis-idaea - Lingonberry
Viburnum carlesii
Viburnum dentatum
Viburnum opulus

[TedB]

The fungus attacks more than oaks. Found this list of susceptible plants....sad.

Not every plant that is attacked suffers much damage from this fungus. For example California Bay Laurel is common around here, and there is some minor leaf damage, but the tree generally doesn't die. On the other hand, the tree acts as a carrier, and helps the disease spread.

[eyahiker]

Thanks for this info. Hopefully it won't be a huge threat.

[tribes]

I view this as a very serious threat to eastern forests. There are hundreds of other nurseries in California and Oregon that grow and ship many of the species on the carrier list that was posted. Things like cherry laurel, leucothoe, mtn laurel, and pieris aka japanese andromeda are exported out of these states every single year by the hundreds of thousands every year. I guess it is good that they are testing plant material now, but my guess is phytophthora ramorum is already "on the loose" all over the place.

The saddest and most ironic part of this whole story is that rhododendron species is also a carrier of this type of phytophthora. Why is this sad? Some of the most numerous grown cultivars of rhododendron are known as Catawbiense hybrids. Go to your local nursery, you will find many of them (Roseum elegans, Cat. Boursault, Cat. Album, etc...). Well anyways, yeah the sad part. Many of these hybrids originate along the AT in NC-TN-VA. In fact they were collected by nurseryman and botanists and saved from clear cuts and mining operations in the early 20th century. Now these same hybrids are now mostly grown in Oregon where the climate proves to be excellent for growing nice ornamental rhodies. They are produced by the million then shipped back to states along the AT (as well as other states) as possible carriers of phytophthora ramorum that can kill red, black, and pin oak which comprise a large percentage of our forests in the east. Does anyone else see the irony in this or am I just rambling???? I will shut up now. Lets just hope it does not become as serious as the chestnut blight.

[Noggin]

Thanks for this info. Hopefully it won't be a huge threat.

It is a huge threat. If this fungus gets loose in the east, which it appears to have done, it will destroy a large portion of the eastern forests. Including the forests along the AT.

[c.coyle]

Does anyone else see the irony in this or am I just rambling???? I will shut up now. Lets just hope it does not become as serious as the chestnut blight.

Excellent post. You're not rambling. I personally prefer irony to the hostility that's infected some other threads here lately.

I am mildly encouraged that the USDA, and my public officials in here in Pennsylvania (who more often than not behave like knuckleheads) appear to be aware of the threat:

http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/a...w.asp?q=131169

[c.coyle]

I visited my wife's family in Western Pa. yesterday, July 4, 2004. For those of you familiar with the southern tier of Pa., we drove the Pa. Turnpike from Lebanon west to Bedford, then took I-99 north, almost to Altoona.

Once we got west of the Blue Mountain turnpike tunnel, we noticed that just about every oak along the roads had clumps of brown, flagging leaves. Mile after mile after mile. I didn't see any totally browned out oaks. The worst appeared to be about 50% brown.

As has been reported, the farther west we got, the worse the problem appeared. On the way back, I thought I saw a few affected oaks as far east as Willow Hill, but I think I was becoming paranoid by then.

Of course, I don't know for sure that this is the Sudden Oak Death Fungus, but something was sure eating at lots of oaks.

In any event, a sickening sight.

I haven't been getting out in the woods this summer due to a leg injury. Anybody else noticing sick oaks? If so, where?

[MOWGLI]

Once we got west of the Blue Mountain turnpike tunnel, we noticed that just about every oak along the roads had clumps of brown, flagging leaves. Mile after mile after mile. I didn't see any totally browned out oaks. The worst appeared to be about 50% brown.

As has been reported, the farther west we got, the worse the problem appeared. On the way back, I thought I saw a few affected oaks as far east as Willow Hill, but I think I was becoming paranoid by then.

Of course, I don't know for sure that this is the Sudden Oak Death Fungus, but something was sure eating at lots of oaks.

That "something" is the 17 year Cicada! What you saw is called flagging. Here's a website from the University of Maryland with pictures explaining it all.

http://www.hgic.umd.edu/cicadas/gallery1.html

[c.coyle]

That "something" is the 17 year Cicada! What you saw is called flagging. Here's a website from the University of Maryland with pictures explaining it all.

http://www.hgic.umd.edu/cicadas/gallery1.html

Son of a gun! That never occured to me. The Cicadas missed us here. I feel a lot better.

Your link has some good information on cicadas and Sudden Oak Death.

[MOWGLI]

Son of a gun! That never occured to me. The Cicadas missed us here. I feel a lot better.

Your link has some good information on cicadas and Sudden Oak Death.

C. Coyle:

You are right to be concerned about and on the lookout for Sudden Oak Death. If you come across any new information about a possible outbreak on the East Coast, please post it here.

Thanks.

Jeffrey Hunter