In 2002, an uninvited guest made itself at home in the U.S. when the redbay ambrosia beetle was unintentionally introduced near Savannah, GA. By itself, the beetle would probably not be a big deal. However, it carries with it a deadly weapon: a fungus capable of killing redbay trees and other plants in the laurel … Read more
They say “don’t sweat the small stuff”, but as laurel wilt continues to spread in North Carolina, some may begin to question that advice. A microscopic fungal spore carried by a beetle about the size of a poppy seed is killing trees across our coastal plains landscape. And there’s not much we can do about … 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 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
