A landscape full of lush, healthy trees is a truly beautiful thing. Dead or dying trees, on the other hand, are unattractive and potentially dangerous. Whether you have a few trees, or a small forest on your property, it’s important that you monitor your tree’s health. Trees, just like people, are susceptible to a variety of diseases and some are contagious. The best way to protect your trees is to learn about the most common tree disease and how to control them.
Common Tree Diseases in the U.S.
There are more than 1,000 species of trees that are native to the United States, the most common of which is the Red Maple. Trees live in a wide variety of habitats from hot and dry to wet and cold and everything in between. We can also help you identify your trees as well with our extensive guide to identifying trees. While most species are well adapted to their habitats, some trees can be affected by devastating diseases including:
Pine Tree Diseases
Pines are evergreen trees, and as the name implies, they stay green all year long. If your pine tree’s needles are browning and falling off, it could be a sign of one of these common pine tree diseases:
- Annosus Root Rot – A fungal disease stunts needle growth and causes a decaying condition called “butt rot.” Generally affects loblolly, slash, and white pines.
- Brown Spot Needle Blight – Caused by a fungus that encircles the needles making them die and fall off. Affects longleaf, Afghan, mugo, Japanese black, Virginia, eastern white, red, Austrian, and Scots pine.
- Diplodia (Sphaeropsis) Tip Blight – Discolored needles, black spots, and cankers on the tree’s bark define this disease. Attacks pines such as Austrian, red, mugo, and Scotch.
- Pine Wilt – A lethal disease caused by the pine wilt nematode, which is carried by the sawyer beetle. Scots, Austrian, mugo, and Japanese red, are trees that are most susceptible to this infection.
Deciduous Tree Diseases
While it’s common for leaves to turn colors and fall in the autumn, any other time your trees deciduous trees seem to be unhealthy, it may be due to one of these common diseases:
- Anthracnose – Dead leaves and leaves that have an irregular shape, as well as burnt foliage are the hallmarks of this fungal disease that affects walnut, oak, maple, birch, hickory, and other hardwoods.
- Bacterial Leaf Scorch (BLS) – This deadly disease is caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa. This commonly affects species like oak, maple, and sycamore.
- Oak Wilt – Caused by a fungus that colonizes vascular tissue, Oak wilt can kill a tree in a single season. Susceptible species include, black, pin, red, and shingle oaks.
- Apple Scab – If your apple or crabapple trees are suffering, this may be why. This fungal infection produces lesions with a scab-like appearance on apple tree leaves and fruit.
- Canker Diseases – Cankers are basically sores that can cause serious structural damage to trees, weakening them. Most species of trees can be affected by cankers.
Diseased trees are unattractive to say the least. If you have a tree that’s looking like it has a problem, contact Anthony’s Tree Removal and we’ll be happy to take care of it for you. We provide expert tree removal, stump grinding, and more!
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