A management guide to Massaria Disease of Plane has been released by the London Tree Officers Association (LTOA).
London Tree Officers AssociationThe disease, Massaria (Splanchnonema platani), affects London Plane trees (Platanus spp.) and it presents a real challenge for managers of Plane trees in the built environment.
The fungus appears to take advantage of branches predisposed by drought stress leading to larger branches being affected, that are then shed.
Apart from a few isolated reports of Massaria in the UK, Massaria has only been recorded in London since 2007.
The LTOA have produced a guidance document for tree managers providing a balanced and proportionate response to the problem. The LTOA felt it was well placed to write this guidance document after working with Treework Environmental Practice and the Arboricultural Association.
The LTOA say the purpose of the document is to provide a framework for understanding the problem affecting London Planes, and for gathering and communicating evidence about the disease.
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