by Cathy Terwedow
Our beech trees are under attack. I first noticed it in early June. Mis-colored, crinkly leaves on the beech trees encircling our backyard. When I started noticing the same odd-colored leaves on trees throughout Becket, I knew I had to look it up.
Sure enough. It’s a thing. A really bad thing. Beech Leaf Disease is killing our state’s beech trees, to the point where arborists fear it could kill every beech tree in the country (WTNH.com, August 9/10, 2023).
Two deadly diseases are at work: “Beech Bark Disease” and “Beech Leaf Disease.”
The ubiquitous Beech Bark Disease (BBD) has been around for a long time. You’ve likely seen the characteristic “blistered” look of many beech trunks in our area.
Beech Leaf Disease (BLD), however, is brand new and it creates a serious double whammy to our cherished New England forests. Already threatened by Beech Bark Disease, the lethal new disease is spreading rapidly and is poorly understood.
BLD was first noticed in Ohio in 2012. It has now spread throughout New England and has the potential to infect nearly all beech trees in the country. Believed to be caused by a worm-like organism called a nematode, infected trees can be identified by the dark green color between leaf veins in the spring (yellow in the fall), the leathery distortion and cupping of leaves, and withered branches. When disease severity is high, buds are killed outright, and no new leaves and shoots are produced (UMass Extension, June 2023).
Young saplings die within three to five years; mature trees within six to ten years. Mortality in young saplings is 95%. Trees living near each other are infected and die the quickest because BLD can spread through their connected root systems (Rhode Island Dept of Environmental Management, 2020).
Beech trees are of immense importance to New England’s forests. They provide food and shelter for birds and other animals, grow up to 130’, live up to 400 years, and are a critical component of the northern hardwood (beech-birch-maple) forests of New England. Sadly, beech leaf disease has no cure. Fortunately, some beeches appear to be resistant. But using those trees to breed new resistant strains could take decades (Science, 10 Nov. 21).
In the meantime, experts suggest having a certified arborist conduct a Hazard Tree Assessment on your property to assess which trees need to be taken down and when in order to prevent potential damage to property or people. Massachusetts is monitoring the progress of the disease throughout the Commonwealth. If you think your beech tree(s) might be infected with beech leaf disease, you can report it to Massachusetts’ Forest Health Program using the online form, https://arcg.is/1Svrz40.
Though the future is uncertain, one thing is clear: New England’s magnificent beech trees need our help. Losing them would endanger many species and irreparably alter our forest landscapes. By staying informed and taking appropriate action, we can give these arboreal icons their best fighting chance.
