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Plants, and Plant Sciences
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- 1. Oleanders jeapordized by bacterium from insect
The Associated Press
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.21.2007
A centimeter-long insect is threatening to destroy an iconic Arizona plant.
The smoke-tree sharpshooter is spreading a disease-causing bacterium that is killing oleanders in north-central Phoenix. And scientists don't know when or if it will stop.
"It's a very difficult, difficult disease to break," said Mary Olsen, a plant pathologist with the University of Arizona. "It's still relatively new. The worst could be in front of us."
Sharpshooters and oleanders have lived in harmony in Arizona for decades, but the bacterium is the problem. Authorities believe it came to Arizona on a vegetation truck from California.
The disease caused by the bacterium is known as oleander leaf scorch. Eventually, the whole plant dies.
Alexander Purcell, professor emeritus in entomology at the University of California-Berkeley, said there is no cure.
"I wish I could give you some words of wisdom or encouragement, but there is nothing we can do," he said. "With no expectation of recovery, you may as well remove the plants sooner than later."
Native to North Africa and the Mediterranean, oleanders provide fragrant blossoms and ample shade. They need little water, so they thrive in desert areas throughout the state.
Riverside, Calif., residents first noticed oleander leaf scorch in the 1990s, according to the University of California's Integrated Pest Management Program. Now, nearly all are gone.
This story is available online at the Arizona Daily Star site: http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/183963 - Updated: May 29, 2007
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