In 1995, a new disease of tan oaks, black oaks and coast live oaks appeared in Mill Valley, Marin County, California. Hundreds of bay area oak trees appeared to be dying suddenly across the landscape, both in woodlands and in suburban properties around the San Francisco Bay Area, but most especially in cities in the Bay Area foothills, such as  Palo Alto, Atherton, Menlo Park, Los Altos, Cupertino, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Los Gatos.

The essentials about Sudden Oak Death Syndrome:

1. The whole SF Bay Area is potentially at risk for Sudden Oak Death Syndrome.
2. Black oaks, tan oaks, and coast live oaks are the susceptible trees.
3. This oak tree disease can be prevented according to the latest science.

Why Sudden Oak Death is Sudden? Generally diseases slowly kill oak trees over a ten or fifteen year process. The oak tree disease, Sudden Oak Death Syndrome can kill an oak tree very quickly, even within a years time. Infections by Phytophthora ramorum (the pathogen which corelates to Sudden Oak Death) on oaks were originally called “Sudden Oak Death” because of the very quick (2 to 4 weeks) browning of the leaves without an obvious prolonged period of visible decline.

Sudden Oak Death may be the most serious threat to California Coast Live Oaks, Black Oaks, and Tan Oaks in the history of the state. However, it can be put off and managed by regular spraying. We would suggest regular treatment for all three different oak tree varieties. If the trees are treated with the appropriate chemical, they are very, very unlikely to be affected by Sudden Oak Death. It is possible to control the progress of Sudden Oak Death and perhaps to keep a tree from dying when it has been infected, but prevention is much more effective. If you have any of the above kinds of oak trees, call us to obtain regular spray service. Your trees can be saved!

Sudden Oak Death has been found killing oak trees widely in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties as well as in the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area.

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