Washington Sees First Sudden Oak Death Case

Sudden oak death was found on rhododendrons at Furney’s Nursery in King County, Wash. The incident is the state’s first confirmed case of the cankerous disease. Furney’s susceptible plants were either destroyed or quarantined for up to 90 days.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has planned regular inspections at the nursery.

In a separate case, SOD was confirmed on a rhododendron at a British Columbia, Canada, nursery. The infestation was traced back to a plant shipment from the United states, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.