Skip to the main content of the page

Nursery and Christmas Tree

​​​​​Sudden oak death (SOD), Phytophthora ramorum, is a federally quarantined pathogen that has caused widespread dieback of tanoak and other oak species in forested areas of 15 counties in California and parts of Curry County, Oregon. It has also been found infecting horticultural plants at nurseries in California, Oregon, and Washington.

History of SOD in Oregon's nurseries

Sudden oak death (SOD) was first found in an Oregon nursery in 2003. It has been detected in limited nursery sites every year since then. When detected, the nursery must complete all requirements of the USDA confirmed nursery protocol.

Requirements include the following:

  • Immediate quarantine of positive nursery
  • Delimitation surveys to assess the extent of the infection
  • Destruction of all infected plant material
  • Trace survey inspections of all host material shipped and received by the nursery for previous 6 months
  • Survey monitoring by inspection and sampling for the next 3 years

While more than 135 plants have been proven to be hosts of SOD, the following five are detected most often:

  • Camellia
  • Pieris
  • Rhododendron
  • Viburnum
  • Kalmia
SOD regulations

Shipping

Oregon nurseries shipping plants out of state that are located within the quarantine area of Curry County or that have been found positive since March 31, 2011, are required to meet requirements of the USDA Federal Order 7 CFR 301.92​.

Receiving

Recipients of tree and shrub nursery stock imported into Oregon are required to notify ODA.

Resources​​​

Curry County Sudden Oak Death quarantine area (2016)

Map of sudden oak death quarantine boundaries in Curry County. SOD quarantine area in Curry County

Guide for Landowners Harvesting Tanoak

Oregon Department of Forestry guide to establishing pest-free production sites within the P. ramorum quarantine area in Curry County. Guide for Landowners Harvesting Tanoak

Phytophthora ramorum a guide for Oregon nurseries

Phytophthora ramorum guide for Oregon nurseries

Phytophthora ramorum news, information, and regulation

Information from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Phytophthora ramorum info from USDA

Phytophthora ramorum: Sudden Oak Death

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Imports and Exports

Phytophthora ramorum: Sudden Oak Death regulations from APHIS

Sudden Oak Death regulations

Plant Plague: Sudden Oak Death

Bay area public broadcasting TV station KQED video story. Plant Plague video

Rhododendron leaf blight and shoot dieback

Plant disease information from PNW Pest Management Handbook. Rhododendron leaf blight and shoot dieback information

Safe Procurement and Production Manual

A Systems Approach for the Production of Healthy Nursery Stock. Produced by the Oregon Association of Nurseries. Safe Procurement and Production Manual

Sudden Oak Death and Phytophthora ramorum guide

A Guide for Forest Managers, Christmas Tree Growers, and Forest Tree Nursery Operators in Oregon and Washington. Oregon State University Extension fact sheet and guidance. Phytophthora ramorum guide

Sudden Oak Death and Phytophthora ramorum: A summary of the literature

Sudden Oak Death summary

Sudden Oak Death Forest Health fact sheet

Oregon Department of Forestry fact sheet on Phytophthora ramorum. Sudden Oak Death Forest Health fact sheet

​​



​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​Contact

Main Office
Nursery & Christmas Tree
635 Capitol St NE
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-986-4644
Fax: 503-986-4786

​​

​​

 ​​