We often don’t think of our trees as getting “sick,” but just as people can contract diseases, trees can too. Some of these diseases have been present for centuries and some are relatively new, or sometimes new to a geographic region. Just as new illnesses are discovered that impact people, new tree diseases also occur and only through study and research do we learn more about the origins of the disease, its impact on plants and potential treatments. Beech leaf disease (BLD) is caused by nematodes, microscopic worms, which feed on plant foliage. The nematode, Litylenchus create mccannii, is thought to have been introduced from Southeast Asia, where it is likely endemic. The nematode has been reported on Japanese beech in Japan with mild symptoms. In North America, however, the impact is much more severe. Healthy beech trees have been observed dying in as little as six years from the onset of symptoms. Signs of Beech Leaf Disease The nematodes overwinter in the buds, where the feed...
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