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Avoiding Spreading Invasive Beetles

9 years ago

I was trying to find sassafras, which it turns out is hard to find.

i found a place in Tennessee that sells small bare root Sassafras by mail order. I recently heard that Sassafras in parts of Tennessee are afflicted with the Ambrosia Beetle and Laurel Wilt disease. Should I worry about spreading the Ambrosia Beetle and Laurel Wilt disease to Massachusetts? Are there any precautions I should take?

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Comments (4)

jebfarm
9 years ago
Make sure the nursery you get your Sassafras saplings from has been inspected and certified free of plant pests and disease. Here on my property there are several mature Sassafras along with many young trees - I've never seen any insect infestation or disease among them. I find them to be nearly indestructible, a few years ago I tried to kill some saplings that were growing under telephone/electric lines - cut them down, applied Tordon herbicide to the fresh exposed trunks and they responded by producing twice as many suckers. When I sprayed those with brush killer it didn't phase them at all. I think I could hear them laughing at me when I sprayed Roundup on them. One summer an adult tree was storm damaged, and a good portion of the top was blown off. That was about ten years ago - it has now regrown and looks as good if not better than the other mature Sassafras on my property.
If you plant healthy stock I don't think it would attract the beetle if it isn't known to be in your area, but I'm not sure of that.
edlincoln
Original Author
9 years ago
Jebfarm, thanks for the endorsement of the toughness of Sassafras!
Do you find them attractive? How do they handle wind?

Anyway, Sassafras is hard to find. I've found two sources of Sassafras, and according to the web the beetle is in the state of one of the two...the one that is cheaper by far.

My concern is that Ambrosia beetles will be in the tree I bought and will bring it to my state

The nursery *SAYS* they have been inspected and certified, but how can I verify this? Is there a website I can use to do this?

This post was edited by edlincoln on Mon, Jan 12, 15 at 11:08
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jebfarm
9 years ago
- Sassafras is a tough tree, mine get hit with direct winds out of the northwest and have made it through fairly well, except for the storm damage that I had mentioned above. It doesn't seem to shed branches or be messy in any way. The autumn color is good, the fruit attracts birds (I've seen Cedar Waxwings eating it) and it is a food source for a species of swallowtail butterfly if I remember correctly.
From what I have read about the Ambrosia Beetle, infestation is fairly obvious - holes and frass where they have bored into the trunk and branches. There is nothing wrong with asking for a copy of the nursery inspection report from where you decide to get your Sassafras - I would dig you up some young trees if it weren't for the fact that they make a very long taproot that makes transplanting the tree (from the wild) just about impossible.
Yes, I think it is a good looking tree, here is a shot of some of my mature trees that I took today after reading your last post.
jebfarm
9 years ago
Ed - here is a better picture (I like to take pictures) - this gives you a better scale next to my barn. These trees are easily 50' tall, and they do tend to sucker from the roots so there are usually multiple trees found growing together.

This post was edited by jebfarm on Tue, Jan 13, 15 at 11:04

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