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By Jeff Hampton The Virginian-Pilot May 4, 2012 ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. Dozens of ailing crape myrtles growing here have an unknown diseasethat experts believe could quickly spread and threaten one of themost popular tree species in the South. The trees' leaves are tiny and crumpled, even though the typicallyhardy and attractive shade trees stand more than 15 feet tall.Without fully developed leaves, the trees will be unable toproperly absorb life-sustaining sunlight and will die. About 50 crape myrtles in the Colonial Avenue and Cedar Streetneighborhoods of Elizabeth City are showing the same symptoms - anumber that alarms Pasquotank County extension agent Tom Campbell. "We have this disease with no known cure and no spray tocombat it," he said. "This tree here will not be able tofeed itself through the season and be dead by next year." Campbell and other experts are stumped over the exact cause, andconcerns are growing that the disease could sweep through the 1,000or so crape myrtles in the city. If the disease has suddenly struck 50 trees here, with more beingfound daily, it also could quickly spread to other towns, includingthose in southeastern Virginia, Campbell said. An import decades ago from China, crape myrtles prefer warmerclimates and have become an iconic tree in many Southern towns.Crape myrtles lose their leaves in the winter but display a smoothdecorative bark. In the spring, the trees provide shade and sproutdark foliage and blooms in a variety of colors. They grow quicklybut not too large and can endure conditions next to a street or ina parking lot. About 40,000 crape myrtles grow in Norfolk, more than half of allof the city's trees, and that does not count thousands more used inprivate landscaping, city forester Richard Wernicke said. Work crews began planting crape myrtles in Norfolk during the GreatDepression and continued to do so up into the 1990s, he said. In recent years, the city has attempted to plant other species tobalance the tree variety, Wernicke said. One species planted inlarge numbers close together can be very susceptible to problems,he said. Campbell has typically seen one or two trees per year in ElizabethCity with these symptoms over the past 10 years, but never to thisextent, he said. Tree specialist John Sugg alerted Campbell last month about theunhealthy crape myrtles during a tree inventory for Elizabeth City.Sugg, the founder of Treefull Communities, has inventoried tens ofthousands of trees in towns such as Edenton and Franklin, Va. "I have never seen this disease or any symptoms like it,"Sugg said. Preliminary results from branch and leaf samples sent last week tothe Plant Disease and Insect Clinic at North Carolina StateUniversity showed signs of aphids and thrips, two tiny insects thatcarry disease from tree to tree much like mosquitoes spread malariaamong people, Campbell said. He plans to send samples to a U.S.Department of Agriculture lab. The vectors could be carrying aphytoplasma that would consume internal tree tissue. If it turnsout that the bugs themselves are the cause, an insecticideapplication might work, he said. Vectors such as aphids, thrips and another common one known as leafhoppers could easily move into southeastern Virginia, Wernickesaid. Wernicke has not seen signs of disease in Norfolk but has concernsthat it could spread from Elizabeth City. "These types of things always start somewhere," he said. Jeff Hampton, (252) 338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Fluorescent Lamp Electronic Ballast , China 12 Volt Led Driver for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits 700MA Constant Current Driver.
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