Symptoms of sapstreak disease include dwarfing of leaves and crown dieback Courtesy US Forest Service	Water-soaked gray to brown radiating patterns indicate sapstreak disease Courtesy US Forest Service

Sapstreak disease, caused by the fungus Ceratocystis coerulescens, is a serious threat to sugar maple forests. Although the disease is causing only minor damage at present, it has the potential to become an important problem. Sapstreak is a fatal disease; infected trees do not recover. In addition, timber salvage value is low because the wood is discolored.

Sapstreak has been reported in isolated areas of North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Vermont. Only sugar maple is affected. At present the best sapstreak control method is prompt removal of newly discovered infected trees to prevent spread to nearby healthy trees. The disease is spread by insect disseminated-ascospores and endoconidia that infect trees through root and basal trunk wounds.

Symptoms

The first noticeable symptom of sapstreak is a dwarfing of the foliage on all or a portion of the crown. In following years, the dwarfing becomes more pronounced, spreads to previously unaffected parts of the crown, and parts of the crown die. Generally after 3 to 4 years the entire tree dies.

During this time, the wood of the lower stem and root system becomes stained in a characteristically radiating pattern.

Control

1. Losses can be minimized by preventing or eliminating entry points for the disease.

2. Avoid wounding maple trunks and roots during logging.

3. Apply a wound dressing to any wounds that do occur.

4. Remove diseased logs promptly.

Information provided by the US Forest Service  

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