Sudden Oak Death (SOD) Study & Treatment
Our 15th annual community citizen-science initiative in partnership with the UC Berkeley Forest Pathology & Mycology Laboratory to protect Burlingame Hills' heritage oak canopy.
Understanding Sudden Oak Death in The Hills
Sudden Oak Death is caused by Phytophthora ramorum, a lethal water mold pathogen that attacks Coast Live Oaks, California Black Oaks, and Tanoaks. However, the primary vector spreading the disease is the California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica).
Bay laurel leaves harbor the pathogen without dying from it. During winter and spring rainstorms, spores produce on bay leaves and are carried by wind-blown rain to neighboring oak trunks. When infected, oaks suffer bleeding cankers that girdle the trunk, causing sudden crown browning and tree death.
Burlingame Hills began participating in the statewide survey in 2011 after several of our oldest oaks succumbed to the disease. Survey results have shown that infection rates can climb following wet winters, making ongoing monitoring vital.
How to Participate in the Annual SOD Blitz
Citizen scientists needed: sampling leaves from hillside bay trees
1. Pick Up Packet
Pick up your sampling packet from the distribution box in the driveway at 120 Tiptoe Lane.
2. Inspect Trees
Examine bay laurels on your property for characteristic leaf spotting or necrotic brown tips.
3. Sample Leaves
Clip 6–10 symptomatic leaves, place them in the barcode-labeled packet, and record your GPS location.
4. Return Packet
Return the sealed packet to the collection box at 120 Tiptoe Lane for UC Berkeley lab DNA analysis.
Group-Rate Oak Tree Treatment Program
Preventative trunk sprays for healthy oaks before the winter rainy season
While infected oaks cannot easily be cured once cankers form, healthy oaks can be protected preventatively using phosphonate trunk sprays (Agri-Fos mixed with Pentra-Bark surfactant). The spray penetrates the bark and stimulates the tree's natural immune defenses.
According to the UC Berkeley Forest Mycology Lab, the rainy season officially begins around December 10. Treatments must be applied to dry trunks during autumn (November to early December) to ensure absorption before winter spore dispersal.
Arborists Experienced with the BHIA Oak Program
Longtime partner in BHIA's group-rate trunk treatment program.
Specialized in Bay Area native oak health and preventative spraying.