Mysterious disease wipes out thousands of Ozarks oak trees

There is a video at the link: www.ky3.com...

Dozens of Burkett's prized oak trees are dying. Burkett, who lives near Mt. Vernon in Lawrence County, first noticed the leaves turning brown a few weeks ago. "The big old oaks, they're just like king of the woods. Then I see them all dying out, and I'm like, 'There's something wrong here,'" Burkett said. Missouri Department of Conservation Agent Cindy Garner said a fungus known as hypoxylon canker is the culprit killing trees from the inside out. So far, agents have tracked cases of the fungus in multiple counties, including: McDonald, Christian, Greene, Barry, and Lawrence.

The gentleman in the story is losing all his trees, they die within 3 months of becoming infected. It is thought the drought has caused the trees to be more susceptible. There is no cure and trees of all ages are being affected.

We do not have the grand old oaks of the south, some of whom are hundreds of years old, but one of the wonderful things about the Ozarks are the trees. We have a wide variety of oaks, here is a page with a partial list. www.stateoftheozarks.net...
The article about the disease does not specify which variety or if all varieties are affected.

The drought is like a pebble in a pond, the ripples are spreading.

reply to post by Iamschist

I wonder if that is the same thing as sudden oak death disease we have here. we can no longer use oak wood for burning and many areas of forest are off limits because your truck tires can spread it. it is very sad :-)


www.suddenoakdeath.org...

From the link you provided.

Sudden Oak Death is a tree disease caused by the plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. The disease kills some oak species and has had devastating effects on forests in California and Oregon.

reply to post by Char-Lee


No it is a different disease. hypoxylon canker is the cause in Missouri. I am sorry to hear about the trees in California and Oregon, it seems that Oak trees are coming under attack. Is there any cure for your disease?

reply to post by Iamschist

They spray something, but I don't think it does any good. Some areas of Forrest are just dead and some areas have large evergreens with oaks mixed and all the oaks are dead. Then we got a cedar disease and some evergreen forests have about ever 100 yards a large dead cedar as far as the eye can see So terrible to see!


ah it says:
While there is no cure for Sudden Oak Death or other P. ramorum-associated diseases, there are preventive measures that may protect plants. The publication “Protecting Trees from Sudden Oak Death Before Infection” provides helpful treatment information for areas not currently infested but at risk. More information and links to other resources can be found below.
so they are spraying to try and prevent it can't be cured.