VERTICILLIUM WILT -Verticillium sp. is a type of soil borne fungus. It can infectmore than 300 species of plants.  In the landscape, the disease is most frequent in maple, redbud, ash, catalpa, and tuliptree. As with most vascular wilt diseases, symptoms in plants infected by verticillium are intensified by water stress.  Symptoms range from wilt of individual branches to leaf scorch, stunted leaves, and branch dieback that occurs sporadically over several years.

Indications of verticillium include:

• wilting and browning of foliage on parts of a tree or shrub (entire branches)
• leaves that are smaller than normal
• browning of leaf edges
• heavy seed production
• green or blackish streaks in the wood under the bark (small branches may not exhibit discoloration)

Control methods should be aimed at trying to limit the amount of fungal growth by pruning out the affected limbs and maintaining the plant's vigor.  A strong plant has a better chance of controlling the fungus.  Keep plants from becoming stressed by watering and fertilizing.  If a plant dies from verticillium wilt, the fungus may still be in the soil in this area.  To avoid losing another plant to verticillium, replant with a species resistant to attack by the fungus.