Oak wilt

Plant disease

Oak wilt is a fungal disease caused by the organism Bretziella fagacearum that threatens Quercus spp. The disease is limited to the eastern half of the United States; first described in the 1940s in the Upper Mississippi River Valley. The pathogen penetrates xylem tissue, preventing water transport and causing disease symptoms. Symptoms generally consist of leaf discoloration, wilt, defoliation, and death. The disease is dispersed by insect vectors and to adjacent trees through underground root networks. However, human spread is the most consequential dispersal method. Moving firewood long distances can potentially transport diseases and invasive species.

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