Fighting Oak Wilt, The Fungus Devastating Trees Across North Texas

By Jeff Ray, CBS Dallas/Fort Worth

January 7, 2023

Oak wilt is a devastating, incurable fungus that is slowly spreading over a large part of the United States.

First found in Wisconsin in the 1930s, it arrived in North Texas in Dallas County in the 1960s. I've done several stories on the disease since oak trees are treasured in the North Texas area.

The fungus kills about 80% of the live oaks it infects. Red and Shumard oaks are most susceptible and almost never survive. There is a chemical treatment for infected oaks that can help mitigate the damage, but the tree will always have the fungus and will need to be treated every two years or so.

Click https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/vi... for a CBS News video report.

CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective.