Quick Action Taken to Save Kauri Trees

Confirmation of a tree-killing disease in two of New Plymouth’s kauri plantations has prompted New Plymouth District Council to take early action.

The disease is honey fungus (Armillaria sp), a wood decay fungus that causes trees to weep sap from their trunk.

The Council is still waiting on test results for a second disease, called kauri rot – which is causing concern from Northland to the Waikato – but is taking immediate action to try to stop the honey fungus in the Fred Cowling Plantation in Barrett Domain and in Pukekura Park’s kauri grove.

“We’re in a bit of unknown territory because there are no known studies of any treatment for the type of honey fungus that affects kauri,” says District Arborist Conrad Pattison.

“However the treatment we’re using for honey fungus is the same for kauri rot, so essentially we’re hitting two nails on the head even though we don’t have confirmation yet that the second nail is there.”

Honey fungus has been difficult to treat in kauri because the disease is usually caught too late, and treating conifers (such as kauri) is notoriously difficult because of the thickness of their sap.

However this disease has been caught early in New Plymouth, and the Council is trialling a new treatment technique recommended by a bio-deterioration consultant.

“We’re confident we can get the treatment into the parts of the trees that need it. Then it’s a case of waiting between six and 12 months to see if it’s effective,” says Mr Pattison.

Information signs will be going up at both plantations in the next few days advising the public to keep themselves and their dogs to the walking tracks and to wash their shoes thoroughly before visiting other forest areas.

“Fungi such as honey fungus and kauri rot are transferred from place to place on the soles of shoes and on dogs’ paws, so these simple precautions would help reduce the spread of these diseases.

“Honey fungus attacks more than just kauri. We haven’t noticed any signs of the disease in other trees in the district but we are keeping an eye out in our parks, on private land and on our street trees so that we can take action early if the disease does spread,” he says.

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