Mild and wet weather causes the fungus to grow, but it is not fatal and ‘trees will come back,’ say authorities
Tree experts in Columbia are advising property owners not to worry about a fungus that is affecting the appearance of sycamore and ash trees this spring.
Simeon Wright, coordinator of MU’s Plant Diagnostics Clinic, has heard reports of the anthracnose fungus from colleagues across the state. In affected trees, Wright said, new shoots appear wilted and brown.
The problem should clear up by the end of summer, Wright said, as temperatures get warmer.
Anthracnose is a common fungus found on trees. It shows up “almost every year, but this year was a lot worse,” said Tim Roller, owner of Timber Tree Service and Landscape.
The fungus is “typically not fatal,” Roller said. “Trees will come back.”
The increase in anthracnose this year may be due to weather conditions, Wright said. Cool weather combined with wet conditions help the fungus thrive. “It starts in the winter, mild winter and the cool spring helps it build up,” Roller said.
Chad Herwald, forester for the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department, says one step that can help is to “rake up the wet leaves around the trees in the fall and get rid of them. Either burn them or get rid of them,” Herwald said.
He adds as an extra step for those who own small trees, “if you see it on a leaf on the tree, pull it off and get rid of it, don’t throw it on the ground,” explaining that the fungus lives on the infected leaves and branches and will spread to other parts of the tree if it is not removed.