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Check your trees: Beech Leaf Disease found in Maryland

By CBS Baltimore Staff

Updated on: September 7, 2023 / 9:10 AM EDT / CBS Baltimore

Your Thursday morning news roundup: Sept. 7, 2023

BALTIMORE -- Maryland officials are asking residents to keep an eye on the greenery after the presence of a tree-killing disease was confirmed in Harford County.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture said it's a new disease affecting all beech species, including American beech. It has been found in at least 10 nearby states, including Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey.

Beech Leaf Disease is associated with a nematode, Litylenchus crenatae maccannii.

The disease, the department said, causes a dark banding or striping between the leaf veins and can kill understory trees in two years and mature trees in six to ten years.

Beech leaf disease, discovered in 2012, affects most beech species, in this case the American beech, an important tree of eastern North America known for its beautiful smooth-gray bark. The striped leaves that indicate the disease are caused by nematodes, which are microscopic and parasitic worms. As of this writing (2022), there is no known control for this destructive disease, which along with beech bark disease is killing millions of these beloved trees. Taken in Connecticut. Getty Images/iStockphoto

"Trees with severe symptoms are heavily banded with yellowing, shrunken, and thickened leaves," the department said.

Residents can report symptoms of the disease to the Tree Health Survey app or reported by email to fpm.mda@maryland.gov.

CBS Baltimore Staff

The CBS Baltimore Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSBaltimore.com.

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