Diseases

Tree diseases cause impacts throughout Texas

The closeup of the bark of a tree that has been infected with a disease

Most diseases, or pathogens, that affect trees are secondary, which means they thrive in stressed hosts. Environmental stresses like heat, drought, flooding, lightning, animal damage, construction damage, soil compaction, and wildfire make trees more susceptible to diseases. Often the best way to prevent tree diseases is to keep trees healthy.

Some pathogens on the other hand, are primary, meaning that they impact the tree regardless of their health.

Oak wilt for example, is a primary pathogen responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of oaks across 76 counties in Central and West Texas. Hypoxylon canker on the other hand is a very common secondary pathogen.

  • An infection that spreads when sap-feeding beetles pick up spores from infected red oaks and carry them to fresh wounds on other oaks

    Leaves with brown veins showing oak wilt

  • Root rot damages tree root systems and hinders the tree’s ability to transport nutrients and water through the canopy

    a closeup of mushrooms growing on the bark of a tree indicating a root rot

  • Causes browning or a scorched appearance on the outer areas of leaves

    a closeup of a bur oak leaf that is showing signs of bacterial leaf scorch

  • A fungal pathogen spread by redbay ambrosia beetles

    A closeup of the bark of a tree with white fungus looking spots showing signs of laurel wilt

  • The most common diseases of oak trees are leaf fungi known as leaf spots

    A close up over browning leaf indicating oakleaf disease

  • Appears as dead lesions on oak and other hardwood trees and occurs in severely stressed trees

    Bark falling off of an oak tree showing hypoxylon canker

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