Lodgepole Pine Dwarf Mistletoe - Forest Health and Adaptation

 
     
 
 
 Lodgepole Pine Dwarf Mistletoe Slide Show{GFX-ESRDx-ForestHealth-DwarfMistletoe-Slide2.jpg}{GFX-ESRDx-ForestHealth-DwarfMistletoe-Slide3.jpg}Lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum Nutt) is a parasitic flowering plant that parasitizes living pine trees.
It depends on the host tree for nutrients and interrupts normal growth and function of branches or stem. It deforms the tree by causing it to form clusters of tangled branches that look like witches' brooms, reducing growth and may eventually cause death.

Lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe is found in all pine forest regions of Alberta.

Signs and Symptoms

Look for the following signs and symptoms of lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe:

Branches/Twigs/Shoots
  • Basal cups
  • Dieback
  • Fruiting body-like attachments
  • Light green aerial shoots
  • Spindle-shaped swellings
  • Tangling that resembles witches' brooms
Crown
  • Clumps of tangled pine branches that look like a witches' broom
  • Fading green/yellow-orange or red-brown needles
Foliage/Buds
  • Fading green/yellow-orange or red-brown needles.
Stem/Outer Bark
  • Swellings
Similar Damage
  • Can be confused with various needle diseases.
  • Look for aerial shoots and basal cups, as well as swellings.

  
 
 
 
For more information about the content of this document, contact Devon Belanger.
This information published to the web on February 24, 2016.