These native trees are dying (and why it matters)
Channel: Weirder Futures
Date: 18/08/2023

Trees across the Southeastern US are dying at an alarming rate, including everyone’s favorite, the avocado (so long, avocado toast!). The culprit? An invasive species called the red bay ambrosia beetle that causes a disease called laurel wilt. Avocados aren’t the only victim: other cultural and culinarily important native trees including the sassafras and red bay are susceptible, too, and the disease just might make gumbo a thing of the past. Here’s the lowdown on what’s going on and what we can do to stop it.

0:00 Intro
0:32 The Laurel family of trees and why they matter
2:31 The Threat: The red bay ambrosia beetle
3:49 Laurel wilt hits home 
5:50 What can we do?

Resources and credits:

National Invasive Species Information Center info on laurel wilt: https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/pathogens-and-diseases/laurel-wilt

Laurel wilt a growing problem in Texas: https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2022/04/27/laurel-wilt-a-growing-problem-in-texas/

Laurel wilt - a disease impacting avocados: thttps://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/miami-dade/agriculture/laurel-wilt---a-disease-impacting-avocados/

Florida Save the Guac campaign: https://www.fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Protect-Our-Environment/Save-the-Guac

Gumbo image: Wikimedia Commons user y6y6y6 via CC 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en 

Sassafras leaf image: Wikimedia Commons user John Stockla via CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Redbay ambrosia beetle image: Wikimedia Commons user Eickwort via CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Iphone image by svstudioart on Freepik