Bay Tree 25 years old is dying
by
Sherrie S
+30
This tree provides a lot of shade to my bromeliads so I will miss it. Has anyone had a problem with a Bay Tree?
Dying Bay Tree
25 answers
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I understand it is some insect from Asia that is now spreading through Florida is killing the tree. It also will kill avocado trees. I am going to ask the vendor to leave the stump. I want to decorate it with something but I don't know what I will do with it. Any ideas to cheer meup?
Sherrie S
on May 01, 2014
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Quite a few are dying from this. You could plant another one. Maybe it could be pruned?
Adrianne C
on May 02, 2014
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Sherrie, I do so hope your bay tree is not succumbing to laurel wilt, but that disease is decimating the bay population in Florida. I have one in my backyard and have it inoculated every year in an effort to keep it healthy, even though it costs me more than $200 each time. If your tree does die and has to be removed, make sure that whoever does so disposes of it properly. It should not be used as firewood or turned into mulch. Here's the latest from the University of Florida: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs391
Douglas Hunt
on May 02, 2014
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@Douglas Hunt the company I use sent their arborist. It is laurel wilt and it must be cut down. This disease will also kill avacado trees. If I had known about a "cure" I would have had it done. It is quite expensive to cut it down and now I have to worry about flower beds that can't take Florida sun. Do you know of any fast, fast, fast growing trees?
Sherrie S
on May 02, 2014
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@Adrianne C I won't get another one like it & pruning won't help now. This happened so fast after over 20 years of no problems Fortunately I only have one Bay Tree.
Sherrie S
on May 02, 2014
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Sweet Gum are fast growing. They are in the Maple family and their leaves are beautiful in the fall.
Adrianne C
on May 02, 2014
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@Douglas Hunt Do you know if Live Oaks are in the category of trees that are being affected by Laurel Wilt? I'm in a rural area just east of Tampa (Hillsborough County). I looked at the website you provided but couldn't tell for sure, plus the map of affected counties doesn't indicate Hillsborough...yet. I ask because many of the live oaks around here seem to be dying from some disease that is killing them off slowly over a few years. It's happening to trees in the wooded areas bordering our property, our neighbor's have lost trees and we've lost one already since we moved here 4 years ago but it didn't really sink in that there was something wrong with it until it was basically too far gone. Now we have at least 3 others (including a HUGE one in our front yard) that look like they are on the road to a slow death too. The foliage doesn't seem to bloom out fully and canopies that were once thick and full are now so sparse we can see the sky through them. Branches eventually become bare and once that happens, then the moss seems to take over. So far, it just appears to affecting the live oaks we have, not the laurel oaks, and we don't have any bay trees...at least on the cleared part of our 30 acres we use for our residence and horse barns/turnouts.
Shari
on May 02, 2014
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@Adrianne C I looked at sweet gum and they look nice. Do you have that tree in your yard? If so, could you post a pic? How tall / wide do they get. I do want a very large tree. I have plenty of land.
Sherrie S
on May 02, 2014
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I'm in Northwest Florida and they are native here. They grow tall quickly, have a wide limb spread, great for shade in the summer, leaves turn colors in the fall then drop them allowing the winter sun to warm the ground. I have had lots of them, and transplanted lots. In the cold, winter months they can be transplanted as a lot of other can be too. At that time, they are dormant. I'm not sure if they are in your area, the leaves are similar to Maple and are fragrant when crushed.
Adrianne C
on May 02, 2014
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@Sherry S Take a cutting of the diseased part, if you can reach it, to your local Master Gardeners or County Extension. They often know what's what in your area.
Annie Sires
on May 02, 2014
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http://adriannewalline.blogspot.com/2014/05/sweetgum-tree.html
Adrianne C
on May 02, 2014
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@Annie Sires an arborist already verified what the problem is and it is spreading quickly. Currently it only kills Bay trees and Avacado trees. It is too late to save it.
Sherrie S
on May 02, 2014
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I'm sorry. It's hard to lose a beauty like that. And a new one will take time. Good luck and God Bless @30 results are available, use up and down arrow keys to navigate.Sherry S
Annie Sires
on May 02, 2014
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@Adrianne C that is one beautiful tree and it is big, too. I'm going to talk to my arborist about putting one here. Thank you.
Sherrie S
on May 02, 2014
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In ormond beach, they are dying like crazy. The family I was living with had one that was over 50 yrs old, shaded the whole front yard. It's some sort of Beatle that invaded them and all others you can't cure it. Many others in the area have died as well. Sad for such a beautiful tree.
Adrienne
on May 03, 2014
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wow as an ex Floridian i am sorry to hear this shade is so important there is it really affecting avacados too? xx
Chris aka monkey
on May 03, 2014
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This happened here in 2012, closer or ormond by the sea, no one knew at time and once it started heard it was too late. The family wouldn't have paid anything for it, took them over a year to remove the dead trees. Sad. Was a gorgeous tree.
Adrienne
on May 03, 2014
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@Chris aka monkey yes, my arborist said it also kills avacado trees. The destruction happens very quickly.
Sherrie S
on May 04, 2014
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I just looked at Pride of Bolivia and that is the kind of tree I want. I have a huge Bald Cypress that is beautiful and drops all the needles in winter but then comes back more beautiful than before. Thank you @Douglas Hunt
Sherrie S
on May 11, 2014
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@Douglas Hunt if you look to the right of the dying tree you will see a part of the Bald Cypress. I love that tree even though his knees that can trip someone.
Sherrie S
on May 12, 2014
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@Douglas Hunt my bay tree produced 2 stumps and I had both cut to 4' for whatever I decided to do with it later. Well today I saw that one stump has a number of green growths - looks like Bay tree wants to live. How do I know the Laurel problem is gone? I sure would be happy to have this one stump back. The other stump has no growth.
Sherrie S
on Jun 08, 2014
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I posted the pic below so you can see what the stumps looked like.
Sherrie S
on Jun 08, 2014
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@Douglas Hunt The green you see by the stump is from a Grapefruit tree & is NOT the new growth. The new growth is only little green spots. Is your sister's tree doing OK?
Sherrie S
on Jun 09, 2014
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Thank you, that is good news @Douglas Hunt
Sherrie S
on Jun 10, 2014
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Bay Tree is growing on cojoined tree - only one side. All the shade loving plants had to be moved. Maybe I'll be able to bring them back soon.
Sherrie S
on Jun 23, 2014
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