Beech trees make up a significant portion of our eastern trees, and beechnuts are an important food for wildlife. Fairfax County Urban Forest Management is closely monitoring the spread of this disease.
Beech leaf disease (BLD) is a relatively new disease of native American beech (Fagus grandifolia) as well as the commonly planted European beech (Fagus sylvatica), and Asian beech (Engleriana subspecies).
It is associated with a microscopic roundworm or nematode (Litylenchus crenatae mccannii) that feeds inside the leaves.
Ongoing research to fully understand the spread of this disease suggests a complex transmission possibly involving other microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and mites that may be spread by birds and rain. Saplings can die in only a year or two while older trees may die over several years.
BLD was first identified in Ohio in 2012, and subsequently spread within that state and into western Pennsylvania, western New York, and Ontario, Canada. In 2020, it was identified in eastern New York, Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. More recently It has been found in Virginia. A small percentage of beech has shown resistance to BLD, but the disease has the potential to drastically alter the composition of the eastern forest.
The symptoms of the disease first appear as dark green, interveinal stripes in saplings and the lower foliage of larger trees. Leaves may also become puckered, cupped, or distorted. Some leaves on a branch may be infected and others not. Some branches may be infected and others not. It spreads throughout the tree and into the leaf buds, so that eventually no new leaves are produced.
Beech tree photo (National Park Service, A. Brolis) shows characteristic striping of beech leaf disease.
If you see beech leaf disease, please report it to pestmail@fairfaxcounty.gov. Provide photos and an address with your report. You can also provide a report by phone 703-324-1770 TTY 711.
To report your sighting on an app that hosts a project specifically designed for tracking BLD you can try the Tree Health Survey App.
We recommend good tree care such as proper mulching and watering during droughts. Research to find safe treatments is ongoing.
