Laurel Wilt: A New Invasive Threat to Forests on Long Island

In September 2025, the presence of laurel wilt was confirmed in Suffolk County. Laurel wilt is a disease caused by a fungus, Harringtonia lauricola, carried by the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus).

The redbay ambrosia beetle was first discovered in the US in 2002, and the laurel wilt disease was first documented in 2003. The beetle first came to the US in the wood of shipping crates. It soon started to infest trees in the Laureacea (Laurel) family. A few examples of tree and shrub species in this family include sassafras (Sassafras albidium), northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin), redbay (Persea borbonia) and avocado (Persea americana). In the southeast this disease has done irreparable damage to the forests and has forced many avocado farmers to close their farms. The species in our area that are at risk are sassafras and northern spicebush.

The Harringtonia lauricola fungus triggers an immune response in the vascular tissue of the trees it infects. It restricts the movement of water through the tree causing it to wilt. Once infected the tree can die in a matter of months. Up until this year, the disease was mostly contained in the southeast, with North Carolina being its northernmost location. A few months ago, it was found in Northport. The carrier beetle was likely to have been transported to the area in untreated firewood. It is important to remember that unless you are purchasing kilntreated firewood, you should never transport firewood further than 50 miles from its original location. Remembering this rule will help prevent the spread of laurel wilt and other invasive insects and diseases.

How to Report Suspected Laurel Wilt

If you suspect that a tree on your property is infected with laurel wilt, take pictures and create a record of the observations in iMapInvasives.org. iMapInvasives is a database used by community scientists and environmental professionals to document the presence and spread of invasive species. This website is free; to help us combat this disease just create an account and submit observations. All potential observations of laurel wilt made in New York and submitted to iMapinvasives will be sent to the DEC forest pathology lab for review.

If you have questions about how to submit a potential laurel wilt observation, please email us at info@northshorelandalliance.org.