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Sudden Oak Death Research and Education Program

Welcome!

Welcome to the WSU Sudden Oak Death website. Here you will find information about Sudden Oak Death and other diseases caused by Phytophthora ramorum. We aim to provide resources and services for educators, managers, industries and landowners. More information about the services we provide are available at the links below.

Education- nursery management, symptom identification guides, information for Master Gardeners, events.
Research – host testing, fungicide testing, population genetics, disease management.
Monitoring – stream monitoring, population genetics of P. ramorum in WA.

Education

A man in a red cap is speaking to a small group of people — Gary leading educational activity

Research

rows of rhododendron leaves with lesions formed intentionally — Rhododendron leaves with lesions

Monitoring

a small pool in front of a small waterfall. a leaf in a small mesh bag tied to a tree — Stream baiting for Phytophthora

What is Sudden Oak Death?

Disease

Sudden Oak Death is a disease caused by Phytophthora ramorum, a non-native microbe that harms plants (plant pathogen).

Impact

Sudden Oak Death has killed hundreds of thousands of oak and tanoak trees in California, and it has affected larch plantations in the UK.

Distribution of Phytophthora ramorum

APHIS 2016 SOD Quarantine Map: California — Areas under active federal quarantine

Distribution

Phytophthora ramorum has only been recovered from Washington, California, Oregon, several European countries, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. In Washington and Oregon, P. ramorum is found in mainly ornamental plant nurseries.

Washington State

Phytophthora ramorum has been present in Washington state since 2004, yet no forest outbreaks have occurred as they have in California, Oregon, and the UK. This may not be the case with the next invasive plant pathogen, therefore the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for growing clean plants is important for nurseries to adopt.

Best Management Practices

Resources

Information about Phytophthora ramorum is available for various stakeholders in our Education Program.

Visit our webpage for Nursery Productions if you are looking for Best Practices for managing Phytophthora ramorum. These practices are also useful for managing other Phytophthora-related diseases, such as those that cause root disease, which can be even more damaging than P. ramorum to their hosts.

Visit our Phytophthora ramorum Symptom ID Guide for more information about recognizing Phytophthora disease issues.