Contact: Steven A. Tilley, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Forest Pest Management | 410.479.2047 | satilley@dmv.com ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 2, 2008) – Beech Bark Disease (BBD) complex consists of two organisms, a scale insect and a fungal pathogen, which together create entry wounds and infection that kill beech trees. The beech scale (Cryptococcus fagisuga), causes wounds to […]
Contact: Jil Swearingen, National Park Service | 202.342.1443 | Jil_Swearingen@nps.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 18, 2008) – Winged burning bush, winged euonymus, or winged wahoo (Euonymus alatus) is native to Northeastern Asia, Japan and Central China. It was introduced for use as an ornamental plant for landscaping around 1860 and has been widely planted by landscape professionals, […]
Contact: Maryland Home and Garden Information Center | 410-531-5556 | http://extension.umd.edu/hgic ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 1, 2008) – Unfortunately, being stinky is not the only claim to fame for the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), an Asian pest that was recently discovered in the Northeast United States. Because this new exotic insect has the potential to damage […]
Contact: Heather Coiner, University of Toronto | h.coiner@utoronto.ca | 416-946-8115 ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 4, 2008) – Once hailed as the “savior of the South”, now reviled as a “scourge”, kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) has consistently excited popular passions. Kudzu’s fast-growing vines climb by twining around structures and vegetation, killing underlying plants by shading them from the sun. In […]
Contact: Kerrie Kyde, MD DNR | kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 6, 2008) – Blooming from early-June well into July, poison hemlock, Conium maculatum, is noticeable all along roadsides and in moist meadows. Native to Europe and the Mediterranean, poison hemlock is widely distributed throughout the U.S., including Maryland. This member of the Apiaceae, or Parsley family, can […]
Contact: Bob Tichenor, USDA APHIS | robert.h.tichenor@aphis.usda.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 2, 2008) – The gypsy moth story begins in the late 1860’s. There is a shortage of cotton in the aftermath of the Civil War, and a persistent disease is plaguing the silk worm industry. Arriving on the scene is Leopold Trouvelot, an amateur naturalist from […]
Contact: Susan Rivers, Maryland DNR | srivers@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 4, 2008) – Didymosphenia geminata (known as Didymo or rock snot) has recently been found in a Maryland stream. This diatomaceous alga forms heavy mats during its growing period and can coat stream bottoms. It can impact fishing, boating, and water intake structures by fouling equipment with this […]
Contact: Robert Strasser, Hood College240-285-8199 | strasser@hood.edu ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 5, 2008) – Chestnut blight, Cryphonectria parasitica, is a very lethal organism. This parasitic fungus reached North America accidentally on chestnut trees shipped from Asia around the turn of the 20th century. It infects various oaks and some other hardwoods, but its principal victim is one of […]
Contact: Susan Rivers, MD DNR | srivers@dnr.state.md.us ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 1, 2008) – Myxobolus cerebralis is a microscopic parasite of trout species that causes a condition known as whirling disease. The parasite was introduced to the United States in the 1950’s from Europe. Since that time it has been found in over 23 states. The parasite was first […]
Contact: Kerrie Kyde, Maryland DNR | kerrie.kyde@maryland.gov ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 3, 2008) – This past summer, US Geological Survey scientists discovered the exotic plant water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) floating over submerged aquatic vegetation beds in Mattawoman Creek, a large Potomac River tributary in Charles County. They raised an alarm in the aquatic invasive species community, because […]