Sudden Oak Death: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Sudden Oak Death (Phytophthora ramorum) is a water mould infection which afflicts some oak species and some other trees and shrubs, causing them to die rapidly. It also causes a non-fatal leaf disease in many other plants such as rhododendrons and California Bay Laurel. There is no known cure but new studies show that periodic wildfires help protect against the mould.

It was first discovered in California in 1995 when large numbers of Tanoaks (Lithocarpus densiflorus) died mysteriously, and was described as a new species of Phytophthora in 2000. It has subsequently been found in many other areas including Britain, Germany, and some other US states, either accidentally introduced on nursery stock, or already present undetected. The origin of the disease remains unknown.