It's a Bad Time to be a Beech Tree

The beech trees are dying.

Only three years after the first instance of Beech Leaf Disease was spotted in Connecticut, many of the Beech trees in Shelton are dying.  An invasive parasite is causing the tree's leaves to wilt and drop off, leaving it susceptible to other infections and ailments.  A recent walk thru the Boehm Pond Trail system showed a lot of dead and dying beech trees.

The usually shady canopy along Boehm Pond Brook was open and sunny.  Many of the Beech trees had large sections of bark missing.

There were blowdowns across the Yellow trail.  More work for volunteers to clean up.  Sadly, we are going to lose yet another key tree in Connecticut's forest.  First it was the hemlocks, then the ash, and now the beeches.  CT property owners and municipalities are going to go thru another round of storm damage, power outages, and increased expenses to clean up the falling trees.  In many cases they are older growth hardwoods that are the dominate species in some areas.

Next time you walk on a favorite shady trail and notice that it seems too sunny, take a look around and look up.   It may be time to say goodby to another of our State's trees.