What's the problem?
Dying Sugarberry in the Southeast
Dying sugarberry trees were first reported around Columbia, SC in 2009. Symptomatic sugarberry trees have small yellowing leaves, thinning crowns, and branch dieback. Sugarberry in forested and urban areas are affected, but the symptoms are often first noticed in urbanized areas. Symptoms have continued to worsen and spread in the southeastern United States, causing homeowners, municipal governments, and land managers to remove many hazardous and unproductive trees.
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Commonly associated insects are the flatheaded hackberry borer and the Asian woolly hackberry aphid. The flatheaded hackberry borer lays tan egg masses on the trunk of the trees, and the larvae can significantly damage stressed Celtis (you can find more information in our factsheet-check the publications tab).
The Asian woolly hackberry aphid builds up on the leaves each summer and fall. The sticky honeydew produced by the aphids encourages sooty mold growth and potentially early leaf drop. Although repeated years of heavy aphid damage likely deplete and exhaust the trees of valuable resources, we are investigating potential vectors for pathogens as well.
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