What is Oak Wilt? Oak wilt is a vascular disease of oak caused by a nonnative fungus. It is one of the most serious diseases of oak in the eastern United States, killing thousands of trees each year. Where site conditions favor disease, the fungus can spread from tree to tree, killing most if not…
Oak wilt is a vascular disease of red, pine, white and bur oaks. It is primarily transmitted through root grafts between oak trees. Over land infections are made by picnic beetles feeding on oak wilt fungus mats that are then attracted to fresh wounds on trees. Oak wilt tends to occur in new infections areas…
This past week we were asked to inventory oak trees in a western suburb of Minneapolis. The charge was to identify and mark trees with oak wilt disease and to identify homes with trees showing symptoms of bur oak blight (BOB). Based on our observations, homeowners in the community with affected trees will be notified…
You may have heard of oak wilt, but how much do you know about this deadly tree disease? Property owners with oak trees need to regularly look for signs of oak wilt disease. One infected tree and certain sap beetles, particularly Nitidulid beetles, can quickly transmit the disease, decimating the oak population. Once the onset…
There are many types of oak trees: northern pin oak, bur oak, northern red oak…the list goes on and on. But with so many native oak species, how do we Minnesotans tell them apart? Before you can identify these different oak trees, you need to know what you’re looking for. Learn about the identifying characteristics…
While trees are an overall low-maintenance addition to your landscape, tree disease is an unfortunate and common occurrence. Bur Oak Blight (BOB), discovered by Dr. Tom Harrington of Iowa State University, has recently been reported in Ramsey and Hennepin counties. Cases of BOB have been found in Wayzata, Minnesota, among other cities. It is important…