Trees dying

[janeadams]

We have recently been viewing with alarm two species of trees dying in the area around us.

The first one, Paperbarks, are affected by the Ohia rust, which also has killed huge swaths of rosy apples, and is known to affect eucalyptus as well. That problem is pretty well-documented.

The second one that seems to be dying are albezia trees. As you drive up to the Ka'ohe homesteads, there are big groves of huge albezias on the Catholic church property. The canopies seem to be losing all leaves and rapidly becoming bare. The only thing I've found online about what may be killing them is about a fusarium wilt, but it's from a mainland university extension service. I know there is a Koa Fusarium Wilt that is here, but I can't find anything on the CTAHR website specifically about Albezias (member of a very different family).

The obvious concern is that both of these species of trees are HUGE, and in the case of Albezia, very brittle. If, in fact they are dying, beware that first big wind storm....

Anyway, if anyone knows anything more about this, I'd love to hear your take on the problem or any references you might know about the albezias. I'd love to be wrong, but I believe it is cause for concern.

TIA,

Jane

[Carey]

Jane, I know the the UH extension is working quite a bit with the ohia rust....one of the scary introductions for our native woods...
Have you checked with the extension on the albezia trees?

(although my first inclination is to wonder if anyone connected with the church, or neighboring properties, has ringed or systemically treated those albezias... )

There are huge die back/offs all over the Kona side, esp. South Kohala area - and there are now hiking & trail use restrictions in South Kohala due to the fire potential of their severe drought conditions, but I do not think that the rainfall totals on this side should account for any die back/off here....

[janeadams]

Hi Carey,

The church does nothing with that property -- it just sits and grows invasive species and harbors a bazillion coqui frogs and feral pigs. Every time there's a storm some of the trees have huge portions break off. There are a number of them that, should they die and fall, will come right across the road.

I have sent something to the extension service about it, and likewise to another researcher who's working on the rust. Not that I wouldn't be unhappy to have the albezias gone, just am concerned that someone's going to get hurt. I don't even want to think about the huge ones along the road from 130 to Kapoho!

I don't think it has anything to do with lack of rainfall, as we're getting pretty much normal rainfall here in the past 3 months.