Watch out for oak wilt near the new development off Highway 9

I spotted infected red oaks behind the old Miller farm last weekend and called the county extension office. Has anyone else seen those orange fungus mats on cut stumps around there?

3 comments

3 Comments

hollyg5922d ago

The county extension office told me those orange mats are actually from a different fungus than oak wilt, usually Hypoxylon canker. Oak wilt usually shows up as wilted leaves that stay on the tree, not bright orange growth on stumps. You should still report what you saw though, just so they can double check it.

luna89122d ago

I drove past the old Miller farm just last Tuesday and noticed those same orange mats on a couple of cut stumps near the tree line. Hollyg59 is right about the difference, I had the same confusion a few years back when I saw what I thought was oak wilt on some firewood piles. It turned out to be Hypoxylon canker, just like they said. The county extension agent told me the real test is checking if the leaves are turning brown and staying on the branches in the middle of summer. I still called them anyway, because better safe than sorry with a new development going in. Good on you for reporting it, that kind of thing can spread fast if nobody keeps an eye out.

charlienelson15d agoMost Upvoted

Oh hold on, I gotta push back a little on that leaf test thing. The brown leaves staying on through summer is more of a classic oak wilt sign, but Hypoxylon canker actually peels the bark off and shows that greenish black layer underneath, not so much the leaf retention thing. I learned that the hard way when I mistook a bunch of dying oaks for oak wilt and the extension guy had to set me straight. Still, you're right that calling them is the smart move, one misID can cost a whole stand of trees.