OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture announced earlier this week that the presence of Sudden Oak Death was confirmed in plants that passed through an Oklahoma nursery earlier this year.
The plant disease has caused damage in susceptible plants and trees for nearly 15 years. Infected rhododendron plants were part of a larger shipment that was shipped to the nursery.
Park Hill Plants ordered the infected plants from west coast nurseries in mid-January and in April, shipped them out to midwestern states. On May 30, a rhododendron plant that passed through Park Hill tested positive for SOD in Indiana. Additional testing is currently taking place.
There is no treatment for the pathogen or disease and infected plants should be destroyed to prevent spread.
Symptoms of SOD include foliar leaf spots, browning and wilting of leaves, and brown to black discoloration on stems and/or trunks.
Anyone who observes symptoms or needs assistance with disposal is asked to contact the Consumer Protection Services division at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry by calling 405-522-5879.
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