I had never heard of this bacterial pathogen until recently but it is another very real threat to our trees and shrubs. I follow with a few quotes which should alarm us all.
"Plant disease Xylella fastidiosa could wipe out the English oak in the same way as ash dieback is killing the UK's ash trees"
The lethal bacterium, already widespread on mainland Europe, has not yet entered the UK. "But if plant material keeps coming across from the Continent without any thought to bio-security it is only a matter of time before this menace becomes a reality".
"The European Food Safety Authority currently lists more than 350 plant species susceptible to Xylella fastidiosa, while the European Commission has called it "one of the most dangerous plant bacteria worldwide".
"The potential for Xylella will blow Chalara (Ash Dieback) totally out of the water - it is the unknown. We've seen it establish itself in France in a very short period of time, and maybe it's already in the UK. I would be very surprised if it is not more prevalent than it is at the moment".
That's worrying. Have to look out for trees dying for unexplained reasons.
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