Oak Wilt
What is oak wilt?
Symptoms of oak wilt in
A. white oak and
B. red oak.
Oak wilt is a disease that affects oak trees. It is caused by Ceratocystis fagacearum, a fungus that develops in the xylem, the water carrying cells of trees. All oaks are susceptible to the fungus, but the red oak group (with pointed leaf tips) often die much faster than white oaks (rounded leaf tips). Red oaks can take from a few weeks to six months to die and they spread the disease quickly. White oaks can take years to die and have a lower risk of spreading the disease.
- View the oak wilt fact sheet (PDF, 442 KB) || oak wilt fact sheet in Spanish (459 KB)
- How to Identify, Prevent and Control Oak Wilt (PDF, 2 MB) - a US Forest Service publication
Why is oak wilt a problem?
The oak wilt fungus blocks the flow of water and nutrients from the roots to the crown, causing the leaves to wilt and fall off, usually killing the tree. Red oaks (scarlet oak, pin oak, black oak, etc.) can die within a few weeks to six months, and the disease spreads quickly from tree to tree. White oaks (bur oak, scrub oak, etc.), often take years to die and the disease usually cannot spread to additional trees.
Where does it come from?
Oak wilt was first discovered in Wisconsin in 1944, but where it originated is still unknown. It has spread throughout the Midwest and Texas, killing tens of thousands of trees.
Where is it found in New York State?
Infected oak trees in Glenville, NY prior to treatment in 2008.
Oak wilt is in three locations in Glenville, Schenectady County. Oak wilt was first was confirmed in 2008, but resurfaced after treatment in 2013. Two new locations were found in 2017. In 2016, oak wilt was discovered in Islip, Riverhead, and Southold in Suffolk County; Brooklyn in Kings County; and Canandaigua in Ontario County. View map showing current infection locations. (PDF, 300 KB)
View the emergency orders that establish Protective Zones and Quarantine Districts around the infections and prohibit the movement of oak and firewood out of the infected areas:
- 2018 Glenville Commissioner Order (PDF, 460 KB)
- 2017 Brooklyn Commissioner Order (PDF, 850 KB)
- 2017 Canandaigua Commissioner Order (PDF, 800 KB)
- 2017 Suffolk County Commissioner Order (PDF, 750 KB)
- 2013 Glenville Commissioner Order (PDF, 230 KB)
What is a Protective Zone?
Spore pads beneath bark of infected wood.
Moving infected wood can move oak wilt.
An oak wilt protective zone is an area that DEC conducts oak wilt management within after oak wilt is confirmed. Specific management tactics are described within individual site plans, but may include infected tree removals, root grafted tree removals, root graft disruptions, applying herbicide to infected stumps, and other tactics. Oak wilt protective zones have been established in the towns of Canandaigua and Glenville, the borough of Brooklyn, and all of Suffolk County. In most cases, an oak wilt protective zone overlaps the oak wilt quarantine district.
What is a Quarantine District?
An oak wilt quarantine district is a quarantine area put in place around a neighborhood, town or county, after oak wilt is confirmed there. The goal of an oak wilt quarantine district is to prevent the spread of the disease by prohibiting the movement of potentially infected oak wood. Oak wilt quarantine districts have been established in the towns of Canandaigua and Glenville, the borough of Brooklyn, and all of Suffolk County.
Prohibited from leaving the quarantine districts
- Oak logs or branches
- Wood pieces less than 29 inches long, no matter the species
Allowed to leave the quarantine districts
- Chipped wood
- Wood pieces 29 inches long or greater from trees other than oak.
View the Oak wilt quarantine district fact sheet (PDF, 453 KB) (Spanish version PDF, 402 KB) for more information.
How does it spread?
There are two main ways oak wilt is spread: 1) above ground by beetles, and 2) below ground through tree roots.
Fungal spore mats form just under the bark of infected red oaks after they have died from the disease. During the warmer months, these spore mats emit a sweet odor that attracts sap-feeding beetles and bark beetles, which can pick up fungal spores as they crawl around. The beetles are also highly attracted to fresh wounds in other trees-often caused by pruning. In this way, they spread the fungus from infected trees to healthy trees sometimes miles away. Infected firewood and other wood materials also pose a threat because they can harbor the fungus and/or beetles that can spread the disease.
Spread underground occurs when roots of nearby red oaks graft to each other (fuse together), creating a connection through which nutrients and the disease can move. In the Midwest, large blocks of red oak forests have died from the disease in a single season due to their vast network of interconnected roots. In contrast, white oaks are much less likely to create root grafts, and spore mats rarely form under their bark, significantly reducing the chance of spread from these trees.
View the Winter Pruning Video: Oak Wilt Prevention (2 minutes) to learn a way to help prevent the spread of oak wilt.
Symptoms
Symptomatic leaves from an oak wilt infected tree.
Symptoms of oak wilt infection are often very noticeable in red oak species, but aren't easily seen in white oaks.
- Brown coloration develops on leaves starting at the outer edge and progressing inward toward the mid-vein of the leaf.
- Branch dieback starts at the top of the tree's canopy and progresses downward.
- Leaves suddenly wilt in the spring and summer and may fall while there is still some green on them.
- Fungal spore mats may develop under the bark of infected trees.
What is being done?
Root graft disruption between infected and non-infected oak
trees to prevent the spread of oak wilt through root grafts.
- During the growing season, DEC will take samples from oak trees around infection sites to determine the extent of the disease.
- These areas will continue to be monitored for at least five years using aerial and ground surveys.
- Established quarantine districts will prohibit the movement of potentially diseased oak wood including firewood.
- DEC is attempting to eradicate the disease in Canandaigua, Brooklyn, and Glenville using methods similar to those originally used in Glenville.
- Oak-free zones will be established where infected and surrounding oak trees will be removed.
- Where possible, root disruption will be used to break root connections to lower the chance of spread.
- In Suffolk County, DEC will only attempt to contain the disease due to the number of infection sites and distribution across Long Island. Only infected trees will be removed. Homeowners with infected trees have been contacted by DEC staff to discuss tree removal. To ensure that infected trees do not continue to spread the disease, they will be chipped and incinerated. DEC will continue to monitor around infection centers and revise the management strategy and activities based on sampling results.
- Read the NYS DEC 2018 Oak Wilt Management Plan (PDF, 700 KB) to learn more about DEC's management of oak wilt.
- View the NYS Oak Wilt Response 2017 Annual Report (PDF, 1.02 MB) for information on management completed in 2017.
- View the NYS Oak Wilt Response 2016 Annual Report (PDF, 1.83 MB) for information on management completed in 2016.
- See the Quarterly Reports for information on management in 2018:
Should I plant oaks given that areas of New York State have oak wilt?
Oak should not be planted within 150 feet of known oak wilt infections. DEC recommends planting a variety of tree types. Oaks are an important part of community forests, and they should be planted when site conditions are suitable for them. Learn more about how to plant a tree and choosing the right tree for the right site.
What can I do?
- Learn to recognize the symptoms of oak wilt including leaf discoloration, branch dieback, and fungal spore mats and check out this helpful video for homeowners Oak Wilt and the Homeowner.
- If you think your tree is infected with oak wilt, contact DEC Forest Health or call 1-866-640-0652. Please provide photos of the symptoms.
- Avoid pruning or wounding oak trees in the spring and summer, when spore mats are present and beetles are the most active. If an oak wound occurs during spring or summer, it should be sealed immediately with wound dressing. This will slow wound recovery but also deter beetles from landing on those areas - which will reduce the risk of oak wilt spreading.
- To learn more about the benefits of pruning oaks in the dormant season, read the "Protect your oaks" card (PDF, 3.37 MB)
- Use tree care professionals. Read more about how to select an arborist or tree service.
- If you prune, learn how to do it properly (PDF, 380 KB).
- Adhere to the NYS firewood regulation which limits firewood movement to no more than 50 miles and obey the rules of the Quarantine Districts, which prevent firewood or oak wood from leaving those areas.
