Birmingham City Council is to remove larch trees and rhododendron bushes from a large area in the Lickey Hills Country Park to stop the spread of a destructive plant pest.
Some larch and rhododendron have have been identified as being infected – or suspected to be infected – with Phytophthora ramorum, an organism harmful to trees and woodlands. A Statutory Plant Health Notice has been issued by the Forestry Commission for the plants to be removed from a 12 hectare area of the Beacon Hill area of the council run country park.
The Forestry Commission considers phytophthora ramorum to be of imminent danger of spreading in Great Britain and quarantines outbreaks when identified.
This fungal-like organism mainly affects shrubs, such as rhododendron, viburnum and camellia, and trees such as Japanese larch, beech, magnolia and horse chestnut. To date the disease has been found in plant nurseries, garden centres, parks and historic gardens, as well as woodlands and the wider environment. Bilberry has previously been found to be affected in heathland and woodland situations.
Symptoms can vary with the type of plant infected. On shrubs, typical symptoms can include blackening of leaves around the midrib and at the tips, and/or wilting and dieback of shoots. Trees can show black lesions (called cankers) on the bark, which ‘bleed’ a dark sap.
It is transmitted through airborne spores from plant to plant and there is no known cure. Evidence shows prompt action in reducing levels of infective spores by felling or killing infected plants or trees can be effective in reducing its spread. It is not harmful to humans and animals.
Cllr John O’Shea, Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Parks at Birmingham City Council, said: “This is a very serious situation – we take the stewardship of our parks and open spaces very seriously, so will do everything necessary to fully comply with this instruction in order to protect our wider environment.
“It is clearly unfortunate that we have to carry out work on such a significant scale, but this is essential, and we will ensure that all activity is done in the most environmentally-conscious way possible.”
