Dead, curled leaves dangling by fungal “threads” are typical of a disease called thread blight. This disease is more common in eastern Kentucky, where sites are more prone to heavy fog or lack morning sun. Thread blight has been observed…
Blog Archives
Don’t Forget about EAB
Emerald ash borer (EAB) was once a topic of fervent discussion amongst entomologists, arborists, and city officials in Kentucky. When this tree devouring beetle first showed up in Kentucky back in 2009, there were federal quarantines put into place and…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Elms Fighting Large Beetles
Over the last month, multiple Extension agents from across Kentucky have submitted samples of larger elm leaf beetles and their damage. Generally, these leaf feeding pests are kept in check by other insects, but there can be years where they…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Box Tree Moth on Our Border
Back in 2021, the box tree moth, a new problem for boxwoods, was accidentally shipped from Canada to the United States. This caterpillar pest had been established in Ontario, Canada but over the last couple of years, established populations were…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Cherry Leaf Spot
Cherry leaf spot is a fungal disease of sweet, sour, and ornamental cherries. While this leaf disease is rarely a death sentence for trees, it can result in reduced blossoms, weakened trees, and increased risk for winter injury. Cherry Leaf…
Posted in Fruit, Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Beware of Spotted Lanternfly in Cincinnati
Recently, our friends at Buckeye Yard and Garden Online shared that spotted lanternfly nymphs have been observed hatching in the Cincinnati area. Spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that has not yet been detected in Kentucky but is an insect…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Eastern Tent Caterpillar May Be Arising in Western KY in 2023
Current Situation People are noticing that many deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves at the end of their growing season) have whitish spots in their branches. When observed closely, these spots are tents built in the forks of tree…
Posted in Forest Trees, Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Winter Woes on Woody Landscape Plants: Winter Drying
The UK Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (PDDL) has received many broadleaf and needled evergreen samples with discolored foliage recently. Despite relatively mild weather during much of the winter thus far, extremely low temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds during the…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Hackberry Psyllids Cause Bumpy Leaves
Hackberry trees are fairly common in the landscapes of Kentucky. Some of them were purposefully planted after the fall of the elms from Dutch elm disease, though others seem to spring up on their own. Regardless of their provenance, when…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
August is Tree Check Month!
The USDA has declared August as “Tree Check Month” to foster awareness of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), an invasive pest that could be devastating to Kentucky forests and landscapes. Currently, the pest is not known to live in the…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Fluffy Maple Leaves? Check for Cottony Maple Leaf Scale!
Red and silver maples can be host to an interesting looking scale insect, the cottony maple leaf scale. Entomologists tend to be on-the-nose when naming things, so unsurprisingly this scale insect specializes in feeding on leaves and, at one point…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Cupped Boxwood Leaves from Boxwood Psyllid
If you are noticing cupped leaves at the tips of new boxwood growth, you are noticing the symptoms of boxwood psyllid damage. Not to worry though; this boxwood bug may cause unsightly leaves to form, but the damage is rarely…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
From Tree Thief to Holiday Tradition: The Story of Mistletoe
Once autumn leaves have fallen, mistletoe becomes highly visible on large trees throughout Kentucky. Phoradendron, the scientific name for Kentucky’s most common type of this parasitic plant, means tree thief. These small leafy plants are commonly found on twigs and…
Posted in Forest Trees, Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Landscape Sanitation: Clean Up for Clean Plants
Autumn has arrived in Kentucky and, as leaves will soon begin to change color and fall from trees, it is time to focus on landscape sanitation. Good sanitation practices can help reduce disease-causing pathogens. These organisms can survive for months…
Boxwood Blight
Boxwood blight can be devastating to American boxwood cultivars, which are common in the Kentucky landscape. Complete defoliation can occur within a week and plants can die within a single growing season. Use of tolerant cultivars, cultural practices, and fungicides…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Kentucky Pest News 