Wilted Buckeye Leaves

The title of this Alert isn’t referring to last year’s shocking November surprise in that State Up North.  Curtis Young (OSU Extension, Van Wert County) reported during yesterday’s BYGL Zoom Inservice that the handiwork of the Buckeye Petiole Borer is appearing on its namesake host in northwest Ohio. Likewise, I’ve been finding damage on wild understory buckeyes in the southwest part of the state.

Round one turned beautiful magnolia blooms into brown mush in southwest Ohio. Impacts from this second round are yet to be determined but it’s likely some trees and shrubs suffered frost/freeze damage that will eventually be revealed with symptoms ranging from blasted flowers to wilted, blackened leaves, to twig dieback. However, wilted buckeye leaves may not be related to low temperatures.