Dutch elm disease detected in Edmonton
Tree fungus detected in the Edmonton neighbourhoods of Killarney and Yellowhead Corridor East, says city.
By David Falk
Tree fungus detected in the Edmonton neighbourhoods of Killarney and Yellowhead Corridor East, says city.
By David Falk
A fungus that ravaged trees in other Canadian cities has been discovered for the first time in Edmonton, The city confirmed it was found in the neighborhoods of Killarney and Yellowhead Corridor East in August 2024, posing a threat to the city’s urban forest.
Dutch elm disease, which spreads by a beetle that transports the fungus from tree to tree, prevents the tree from absorbing water, usually leading it to die within two years. Symptoms of an infected elm include drooping yellow leaves that stay on the tree, brown staining in the sapwood, and signs of beetle holes in the bark.
According to the Alberta government, there are over 90, 000 elms in Edmonton. Though not native to the province, elms make up about 22 per cent of all municipal trees, and some older neighborhood boulevards are lined exclusively with mature elm trees, meaning they could lose all of their canopy cover.
Jordan Sykes, an arborist working in the city since 2018, says that many cities have planted elm trees because of their ability to grow tall and slender and “because they can tolerate pollution and colder climates.”
According to Sykes, the biggest concern now, with regards to prevention, is that a lot of people don’t know how to identify elm trees, which means they don’t follow the already strict guidelines around removal. Such rules include only allowable pruning and removal of elm trees between Oct. 1st and March 31st, and a ban on transporting firewood across provincial borders as per Edmonton bylaws.
That worries Sean Pellatt, a Glenridding Heights neighbourhood resident who recently planted an elm on his property.
“I really hope that it doesn’t continue to spread to other trees and the boulevards in the city that have them,” Pellatt said.
“They’re gorgeous, and it would be nice if those could stay healthy and we didn’t lose them.”
In the future, Sykes says there needs to be a push to diversify urban trees by the city and in private backyards. “Every other tree has to be different because, if a disease does hit, that will only hit one species, and we won’t lose an entire neighbourhood of trees,” he said.
The City of Edmonton advises all residents to familiarize the signs of Dutch Elm Disease and to call 311 if they see any signs in their neighbourhood.
