Oak Wilt - Oak Tree Wilt Disease

WHAT IS OAK WILT? Oak wilt is a tree disease caused by a fungus called Ceratocystis fagacearum. In the last twenty years Austin neighborhoods have lost an estimated 10,000 oak trees worth millions of dollars to this incurable disease. Oak wilt CONTINUES TO KILL valuable oak trees in Austin at alarming rates despite easy preventive measures that can prevent it's occurrence and subsequent spread.

HOW DOES IT SPREAD? The oak wilt pathogen is transmitted in two ways:
(1) BY INSECTS: Sap-feedng beetles can carry oak wilt spores from a diseased red oak tree to fresh wound(s) on an uninfected oak, thus, introducing the disease for potential spread.

3) IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT OAK WILT, CALL US! The City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department Forestry Unit has programs designed to assist Austin Citizens with oak wilt related problems at (512) 476-6487. For oak wilt information concerning trees outside of the city limits of Austin, contact the Austin branch of the Texas Forest Service at (512)440-5193

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