Common Florida Tree Pests & Diseases

Florida's climate is hospitable to a lot of tree diseases and pests that don't exist further north. Most are species-specific. Most have at least one clear visual signature. Knowing the four or five most common ones gets you 80% of the way to early detection — and early detection is the whole game.

The big diseases to know

• Laurel wilt — a vascular fungal disease spread by the redbay ambrosia beetle. Affects bay, avocado, and other Lauraceae. Look for: sudden wilting of foliage that doesn't recover, dark vascular streaking in cut wood, beetle entry holes the size of pinholes. Almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
• Oak wilt — a vascular fungal disease that spreads via sap-feeding beetles in spring. Affects oaks (live oak less, water/laurel/red more). Look for: progressive leaf browning starting from the canopy edge, working inward. Sterilize pruning tools between every oak cut in spring (March–June) to prevent spread.
• Palm fusarium wilt — fungal disease of palms, particularly queen and Canary Island date. Look for: asymmetric frond yellowing (often one side of crown), brown streaking in the petiole. Spreads via contaminated pruning tools — sterilize between every palm.
• Ganoderma butt rot — root and trunk decay disease of palms (and some hardwoods). Look for: a flat, brownish, fan-shaped 'conk' (fruiting body) at the base of the trunk, often with white margin. The palm is structurally compromised once you see the conk; removal is the typical recommendation.

Common pests

• Lobate lac scale — small dark insect that infests dozens of woody species. Look for: black sooty mold buildup on leaves and stems, sticky honeydew on surfaces below the tree. Treatable with horticultural oil and proper timing.
• Royal palm bug — tiny insect that distorts new royal-palm fronds, causing brown streaking. Treatable with systemic insecticide.
• Redbay ambrosia beetle — the vector for laurel wilt (see above). The beetle itself is harmless; the fungus it carries is the problem.
• Caribbean fruit fly — affects certain tropical fruit trees, mostly cosmetic damage to fruit.

When to call for diagnosis

Almost all of these conditions get easier to manage with earlier identification. Sudden wilting, asymmetric decline, visible fungal growth, sooty mold buildup, or new beetle entry holes are all reasons to get a professional assessment within a few weeks rather than waiting through a full season. We do photo-bid assessments at no charge — send photos of the affected tree, the symptoms close-up, and any visible insect or fungal evidence.