North Carolina Agriculture Officials Testing Plants for Sudden Oak Death

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - North Carolina is turning to homeowners and landscapers in the effort keep an oak-killing pathogen out of the state.

In April, state agriculture officials discovered camellia plants infected with the disease known as sudden oak death at nine nurseries in the state. Sudden oak death has killed tens of thousands of oak trees in California, and experts say it could pose a threat to North Carolina's oak populations.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture is now testing plant samples submitted by homeowners and landscapers.

The plants they are targeting are 5- and 7-gallon rhododendrons purchased from Lowe's Home Improvement stores between February 2003 and May of this year. Anyone who bought camellias and viburnums between March 2002 and March 2003 that may have originated from Monrovia Growers in California should also check those plants for brown spots or signs of disease.

Those noticing a problem should collect leaf or twig samples and submit them to their local agriculture extension office. Only plants with signs of disease will be tested.

"The only things that are being tested are those three species of plants purchased within that time period," said Linda Blue, agricultural extension agent with N.C. Cooperative Extension in Buncombe County. "Plants that have been in landscapes for a few years that aren't looking good may have a problem, but it's not this problem."

Blue said those plants purchased from Monrovia Growers usually have the Monrovia tag on them.

"If the plant is healthy, they (homeowners) don't need to be alarmed," Blue said.

Sudden oak death was first documented in California in the 1990s. In addition to oaks, it infects plants like camellia, rhododendron, mountain laurel and viburnum and can be spread to oaks from those plants.

"We don't know how extensive this disease might be here. It could be a major issue depending on the climatic conditions or it may not pan out," said Gene Cross, plant pest administrator for the state Department of Agriculture.

Agriculture officials are taking no chances.

This spring, they destroyed infected camellias that had been shipped to North Carolina nurseries from Monrovia Growers in California. Tests in Maryland also found infected rhododendrons at a Lowe's Home Improvement store. Those plants came from a nursery in Oregon, which also supplies plants to Lowe's stores in North Carolina.