Laurel wilt is a devastating non-native disease of redbay trees and other plants in the laurel family in the Southeastern U.S. Native to Southeast Asia, it was first detected near Savannah in the early 2000s and has since spread to eight additional Southern states, from Texas to North Carolina. It has already killed an estimated half … Read more
From late summer through early November, the N.C. Forest Services’ Forest Health staff, the Plant Industry Division, and cooperators with the Duke Forest set and monitored 104 traps across the state with the intent of detecting the walnut twig beetle in new locations. This beetle is the carrier for a fungus (Geosmithia morbida) that causes … Read more
Pondberry, a small, wetland shrub with yellow flowers that pop up each spring, may soon be gone forever in the state. The shrub, native to the Southeast and historically found in wetland habitats, was essentially wiped out last century as an unintended consequence of wetland draining. Now, the remaining populations are endangered by a non-native … Read more
Laurel wilt is a devastating non-native disease of redbay trees and other plants in the laurel family in the southeastern U.S. Native to Southeast Asia, it was first detected near Savannah, Ga., in the early 2000s and has since spread to eight additional Southern states. It has already killed an estimated half a billion trees … Read more
Gloves, hats, and scarves have finally emerged after a mild start to our winter. Keeping a home warm is no easy feat, and furnaces and fireplaces are being used with more regularity now that colder temperatures are upon us. With the use of firewood increasing each winter, users are again encouraged to keep firewood local … Read more
