Sudden Oak Death

Sudden oak death causes rapid tree decline, with canopies turning from green to brown in just a few weeks. The hallmark symptom is brown or black bleeding cankers on the lower trunk that exude sticky reddish-brown sap. You'll see a distinctive dark-reddish margin around the canker in the bark and wood. This disease has appeared in Curry County southwest Oregon on tanoak, but Oregon white oak in the PNW has shown good resistance in testing.

While sudden oak death hasn't established itself widely in Western Washington, the risk of introduction is real. Your primary responsibility is not transporting infected plant material, soil, or firewood from California or the infected areas in Oregon. If you spot suspicious symptoms on oak or tanoak trees, report them immediately to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. When importing nursery stock, purchase only from certified P. ramorum-free sources.