Ogden has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for multiple decades, and several other cities throughout Weber County and the state of Utah at large share in the distinction.

However, trees in the region are being impacted by disease.

Anthracnose diseases caused by a variety of morphologically similar fungi are affecting shade trees like sycamores, maples and oaks. They cause dark lesions to appear on leaves and can even result in stem cankers, early leaf drop or other damage to twigs, buds and more.

Symptoms vary from host to host.

“I’ve seen quite a bit, fairly severe here in Ogden as well as up through Box Elder County,” Helen Muntz, horticulture agent for the Utah State University Extension office for Weber and Morgan counties, told the Standard-Examiner. “Some trees are affected a lot more than others, but yeah, it’s pretty widespread this year.”

The fungi causing anthracnose thrive in cool, wet weather. So, the excess moisture and mild temperatures in Northern Utah during the spring season provided an ideal environment for the disease to take hold in host trees, according to Muntz.

She added that the distress caused by drought conditions in recent years also may have left trees more susceptible to infection. In any case, anthracnose symptoms aren’t necessarily cause for major concern.

“What we’re starting to see now is there are some bare branches, but we’re seeing that the trees actually put on some new growth,” she said. “And those newer leaves may or may not end up with the same symptoms.”

Added Muntz: “It typically will not completely kill the tree. … I’ve personally never seen that happen.”

For that reason, chemical treatment with fungicides isn’t generally recommended, Muntz says.

“Next year and following years, as long as the weather stays a little more dry in the spring, they should actually look a lot better compared to this year, even if they still have the pathogen there, which they probably will.”

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