The whole team here at Longacre were sorry to hear about the recent outbreak of Phytophthora Ramorum at Ae and Mabie Forest.

We understand that renewed felling operations are now in place in the hope to minimise and slow down the spread of a killer tree disease. The felling action will remove larch trees infected with Phytophthora ramorum as well as some unaffected by the disease.

Phytophthora ramorum (P. ramorum) is a fungus-like pathogen called a water mould. It causes extensive damage and death to a wide range of trees and other plants.

The generic name for the disease which it causes is Ramorum disease. The disease is known in the USA as ‘sudden oak death’ because different genetic forms of the P. ramorum organism from those present in the UK have caused significant damage to North American native oak and tanoak species. However, the genetic forms of the P. ramorum organism found in the United Kingdom have had little effect on Britain’s two native oak species: pedunculate or ‘English’ oak and sessile oak (Quercus robur and Q. petraea respectively).

Larch trees, which are widely grown in the UK for the timber market, are particularly susceptible, and large numbers have been affected. P. ramorum infection on larch trees is sometimes also referred to in the UK as ‘Larch tree disease’, ‘Japanese larch disease’ (although European and hybrid larch are also hosts) and ‘sudden larch death’.