Prabha Liyanapathiranage, PhD
State Plant Pathologist
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Anni Self
Plant Certification Program Director
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Fulya Baysal-Gurel, n/a
Associate Professor
Tennessee State University, Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center, Department of Agriculture Sciences and Engineering
McMinnville, TN, USA
Devin Bily
VDACS Office of Plant Industry
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Anna Pasternak
Entomologist/CAPS and Invasive Species Coordinator/State Survey Coordinator
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Matt Howle
Program Manager | State Survey Coordinator
Department of Plant Industry Clemson University
Pendleton, South Carolina, United States
Caroline Oatley
Invasive Species Coordinator
Department of Plant Industry Clemson University
Pendleton, South Carolina, United States
Rosalee Knipp
State Entomologist
Missouri Dept. of Agriculture:
Jefferson City, Missouri, United States
Matthew Cullen
Missouri Dept. of Agriculture:
Jefferson City, Missouri, United States
Janet Lensing
State Survey Coordinator/Instructor
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Jennie Condra
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Brittaney Allen
State Survey Coordinator
Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries
Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Aaron Shurtleff
Entomologist
Maryland Department of Agriculture
Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Jaime Tsambikos
Nursery Program Administrator
Maryland Department of Agriculture
Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Kimberly Rice
Program Manager
Maryland Department of Agriculture
Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Steven Bell
Maryland Department of Agriculture
Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Deborah Hayes
Maryland Department of Agriculture
Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Katherine Kilbourne
Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Ellington Agricultural Center
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Vascular Streak Dieback (VSD) is an emerging threat to woody ornamental production in the U.S. Although Koch's postulates have not yet been completed to confirm the causal agent, Ceratobasidium sp. (Csp) has been strongly linked to VSD since its first detection in Tennessee in 2019. Since then, Csp has been isolated from several woody ornamentals exhibiting symptoms such as leaf scorch, interveinal chlorosis, vascular streaking, defoliation, and dieback. A survey conducted from June 2024 to January 2025 aimed to assess the distribution and host range of Csp. The survey covered 91 counties across 9 states: Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Woody ornamental plants representing 68 genera were sampled from nurseries, garden centers, landscapes, and natural areas. Samples were incubated in humidity chambers to facilitate Csp growth before being tested using Csp-specific qPCR primers. Of the 711 samples collected, 29% tested positive for Csp across all nine states. Csp was found in 50 plant genera, with most detections in Cercis spp., followed by Cornus spp. and Acer spp., and limited detections in Juniperus, Rosa, and Prunus spp. Although the severity of disease varied by sample (or nursery), dieback, vascular streaking, and leaf scorch were the most common symptoms associated with Csp-positive detections. The findings confirmed the presence of Csp in new geographic locations and host species, highlighting the need for further research to assess its potential impact on woody ornamentals.