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Horticultural "ALERT"
Do you have evergreens that look like this?
with branches that look like this?
Do you have a "Lawn Service"?
If the answer to these questions is YES than you could have a serious problem.
And, you are not alone!
There are thousands of reports from Maine to California of this type of injury showing up on evergreens. In particular, Pine and Spruce trees. The culprit "appears" to be a new chemical on the market for killing broadleaf weeds in your lawn. It is called "Imprelis" and made by DuPont. Believing this great new product to be safe, many lawn care service providers have used this chemical on lawns around the country and I have personally witnessed one such case here in Madison.
This product is leaching into the soil and the tree roots are taking the chemical which is actually called "aminocyclopyrachlor" up into their healthy branches and then BAM!
Typical symptoms are curling and twisting of branches and needles. New growth may appear brown and die. And, it does not show up immediately. It takes a couple of weeks for any initial signs of this damage.
Although the majority of cases have been found on Spruce and Pine trees there have been reports of damage to broadleaf landscape plants and also to deciduous trees such as Gingko among others. Leaf cupping ( upward or downward ) may occur, or in extreme cases new leaves may appear irregular shaped or smaller than normal.
If you suspect that your trees may be exhibiting any of these signs please call your lawn service and asked them if they used Imprelis in their spray applications. Hopefully they will be honest as I am sure they believed the product to be safe. After all it was put on the market, for lawns, by DuPont.
DuPont to issue a statement regarding Imprelis in the near future.
This IS a very serious problem, and the Office of the Indiana State Chemist is asking that all cases be reported to them for verification. They will send a representative to your property for documentation in the event there are any future ramifications as no one at this point knows what other damage may show up from the use of this product.
To report this contact:
George Saxton
765-494-1582
email: saxtong@purdue.edu
Other contact information:
Jefferson County Extension Office
Lonnie Mason
812-689-8919
Ripley County Extension Office
Dave Osborne
812-689-6511
Office of the Indiana State Chemist
Joe Becovitz
765-494-1582
www.isco.purdue.edu/
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