Palm and Tree Library
Tree Problems
The diseases, pests and injuries we see on oaks, pines and other community trees. Most of them follow stress: drought, buried root flares, construction, storms. That is why the plan starts with the tree's vigor.
Ranked from the killers to the mostly cosmetic. Name the host first: laurel wilt only attacks the laurel family, the bark beetles here only attack pines, and the hardwood decay fungi are different organisms from the ones that kill palms.
- Killer
- Kills the palm or tree. No cure once it takes hold.
- Serious
- Can kill or badly disfigure if left alone. Needs action.
- Manageable
- Kept in check when it is caught early and treated.
- Mostly cosmetic
- Looks bad, rarely harms. At scale we do not typically treat it.
Every page is ranked on this scale. Anything Manageable or Mostly cosmetic can become Serious, but caught early, it stays manageable. Mostly cosmetic problems are ones we do not typically treat on palms and trees at scale. On a home, or a palm or tree that matters most to the property, treating one can be a level of care you choose.
Killer2 pages
KillerSmall bark beetles that move into stressed, storm-damaged, lightning-struck or drought-stressed pines.
Signs and what we doA fatal wilt of trees in the laurel family, carried into the wood by a tiny ambrosia beetle.
Signs and what we doSerious6 pages
SeriousCanker fungi that live inside healthy wood and turn on a tree when it is stressed.
Signs and what we do
SeriousA conk on a trunk means a decay column is already inside.
Signs and what we doA bacterium that lives in a tree’s water-conducting wood and slowly plugs it.
Signs and what we doThe largest bark beetle in the Southeast.
Signs and what we doA fungus that lives quietly inside many healthy oaks and takes over when drought, root damage or construction weakens the tree.
Signs and what we doA fungal canker and the main disease of South Florida slash pine.
Signs and what we doManageable1 page
Mostly cosmetic1 page
Where to next
Keep working through it.
FAQ
Questions boards and managers ask
Is it the southern pine beetle?
Almost certainly not. The southern pine beetle has never been recorded in South Florida. Here the bark beetles are Ips and the black turpentine beetle.
Why are so many of our newer oaks declining?
Planted oaks face transplanting, buried root flares, irrigation that is off or short, drought and herbicides. Canker fungi already living in the wood take over when the tree is stressed. We look at the root flare and the water first.
There is a conk on our tree. Does it have to come out?
Not always. A conk means decay inside. Where it is, how much sound wood is left and what sits under the tree decide the call, through a tree risk assessment.
Next step