What Are Diseases of the Sequoia Trees?
The fact that sequoia trees can live for well more than 1,000 years attests to their ability to withstand disease. Even so, they are susceptible to several fungal infections and insects. Does this Spark an idea?
-
Major Pathogens
-
Botryosphaeria spp., a canker fungus, and Armillaria spp., a root rot fungus, are two major pathogens that can attack young-growth sequoia trees.
Fomes Annosus
-
Another root rot fungus, Fomes annosus, has been frequently observed in dead sequoia trees. However, the U.S. Forest Service reports on its Sequoia National Forest website that "the giant sequoias are highly resistant to this and most other conifer diseases."
-
Mold and Blight
-
The Stihl Encyclopedia of Tree Diseases cites gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), a fungus that kills young tree tissue, and Pestalotia twig blight (Pestalotia funerea), an infection that attacks individual needles and twigs, as potential problems for sequoia trees.
Double Damage
-
Phytophora citrophthora, a pest that destroys both foliage and roots, can affect sequoia seedlings, according to the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Services.
Insects
-
U.S. Forest Service research notes several insects that kill sequoia seedlings, including camel crickets and two geometrids known as Sabuloides caberata and Pero behresarius.
-
