Sudden Oak Death (Ranorum Blight) Returns

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) recently identified 108 facilities in 13 states infected with the Phytopthor ramorum pathogen that had surfaced in March. Phytopthora ramorum has been referred to as Sudden Oak Death because it was discovered in parts of coastal California causing significant death of Tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) and other true oaks in the genus Quercus. But the pathogen is known to infect a number of other tree species and woody shrubs, especially Rhododendron spp. The current list of susceptible plants is: Acer macrophyllum, Aesculus californica, Arbutus menziesii, Arctostaphylos spp., Heteromeles arbutifolia, Lithocarpus densiflorus, Lonicera hispidula, Quercus spp., Rhamnus californica, Rhododendron spp., other than R. simsii (pot azaleas ?EUR??,,????'??? otherwise known as Azalea indica), Umbellularia californica, Vaccinium ovatum and Viburnum spp. The pathogen was initially confirmed in plants in 84 facilities in 12 states traced from a Los Angeles County wholesaler, according to the APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) unit. It Nurseries or garden centers with positive trace forward samples from the infected LA wholesaler are California (34), Florida (5), Washington (6), Oregon (9), Texas (5), Colorado (1), Georgia (13), Louisiana (5), North Carolina (8), New Mexico (1), Tennessee (2) and Virginia (1). Source: www.forestry.gov.uk