There’s Help For The Sick Sycamores

There’s a beautiful sycamore tree on the corner of Davenport and 30th, but it is not looking too well. It has few leaves. There is another at 29th and Linnean that appears to be suffering as well. I asked arborist Bill Eck, who has written about the trees and bugs in the neighborhood, what is happening to our sycamore trees. He replied:

“The problem is Sycamore Anthracnose. They aren’t dying, just diseased. It is rarely fatal, but several consecutive years of defoliation can weaken the trees enough that they enter a downward spiral of decline, or succumb to more aggressive (and fatal) pest and disease issues. There is a preventative injection treatment that can be applied in the fall to reduce the symptoms next season.“

I hope these trees are getting the care they need. These are grand trees, and we don’t want to lose them. – Marlene Berlin