What conditions might be mistaken as Sudden Oak Death?
While a tree may display Sudden Oak Death symptoms, it does not necessarily indicate that the tree has the disease. Many diseases have symptoms similar to Sudden Oak Death, making laboratory testing necessary to confirm the presence of Phytophthora ramorum. Some more common look-alike diseases include:Wetwood – a bacterial infection that is the result of an injury to the tree; like Sudden Oak Death, wetwood also causes bleeding in the trunks and large branches of oak trees. However, Phytophthora ramorum bleeding is sticky and spotty, whereas wetwood bleeding is watery, foul smelling, and usually very copious. Hypoxylon – a fungus that looks like dark brown or black balls and grows on dead wood; Hypoxylon is often associated with the later stages of Sudden Oak Death, but can appear on the trunks of trees or logs that are dead or dying from any number of causes. California oakworm – a caterpillar with green or yellow stripes and a round, tan head; Oakworms can cause heavy to complete def
