By: Shelby McCullough| Published: October 19, 2026
TL;DR: Five tree problems Orlando homeowners should watch for are lethal bronzing and Ganoderma butt rot in palms, Hypoxylon canker in oaks, Ips bark beetles in pines and laurel wilt in avocados and redbays. Most can’t be cured once you can see them. Catching them early lets you protect nearby trees and remove a failing tree before it falls.
Five tree pests and diseases in Central Florida that every Orlando homeowner should know are lethal bronzing, Ganoderma butt rot, Hypoxylon canker, Ips bark beetles and laurel wilt. Each one leaves an early sign you can see from the ground. If you catch it early, you can protect nearby trees or remove a failing one before it falls.
Trees here deal with heat, humidity, sandy soil, dry springs and summer storms. That stress matters. A UF/IFAS Extension agent in Hillsborough County notes that many disease organisms are always around. What usually decides things is how healthy the tree is. Healthy trees fight off infection better. Stressed trees don’t. Here’s what to look for in a yard in Conway, Pine Castle or Union Park.
First, a quick side-by-side. The details follow.
| Pest or disease | Trees it attacks | First sign to look for | Can it be treated? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lethal bronzing | Cabbage, date, queen, pindo and coconut palms | Lower fronds turn bronze-brown fast | No cure once infected. Healthy palms nearby can get preventive injections |
| Ganoderma butt rot | All palms | Hard shelf fungus on the lower trunk | No. Remove the palm and grind the stump |
| Hypoxylon canker | Oaks and other hardwoods | Bark falls off in patches, with gray or black crust underneath | No. Lower stress and check whether the tree is a risk |
| Ips bark beetles | Pines | Dime-sized resin globs or red boring dust | Only by preventing an attack. Infested trees rarely recover |
| Laurel wilt | Redbay, swampbay, sassafras, avocado | Leaves wilt and brown but stay on the tree | Rarely once symptoms show |
1. Why Are My Palm’s Lower Fronds Turning Bronze So Fast?
Browning that starts at the bottom of the crown and climbs fast may be lethal bronzing disease. A type of bacteria called a phytoplasma causes it. A tiny sap-sucking insect called the American palm cixiid carries it from palm to palm. UF/IFAS lists Orange County among the counties with confirmed cases.
It infects cabbage palms, which are our state tree, plus date, queen, pindo and coconut palms. Other early signs are fruit falling early and flower stalks dying back before fruit forms. Once the spear leaf in the center collapses, the palm is dead.
What to do: UF/IFAS advises calling your county Extension office for a lab test. A palm that tests positive should come out right away. Nearby palms that test negative can get repeated preventive antibiotic injections. The good news is that the bacteria can’t live outside a living palm, so it doesn’t spread on pruning tools.
2. What Is the Hard Shelf Fungus at the Base of My Palm?
A hard, shelf-like growth on the lower 4 to 5 feet of a palm trunk is called a conk, and it confirms Ganoderma butt rot. The fungus breaks down the wood inside the lower trunk. The trunk still feels hard, so pushing on it won’t tell you anything.
All palms can get it. Early signs are wilting or a slow, general decline, with more dead lower fronds than normal. Many palms die before a conk ever shows up. Once symptoms appear, the palm usually dies within six months to a year.
What to do: UF/IFAS reports no cure and no proven way to prevent it. Remove the palm soon after conks appear. Grind the stump or pull it out, because conks release the spores that spread the fungus. The fungus also lives in soil, so don’t plant a new palm in the same spot without special precautions. Here, stump grinding after the palm comes down is part of the fix, not just cleanup.
3. Why Is Bark Peeling Off My Oak in Gray Patches?
Bark falling off in patches, with a gray, whitish or black crust underneath, is a classic sign of Hypoxylon canker. Any hardwood can get it, but oaks are the most likely target.
This fungus moves in after something else has weakened the tree. Common causes are drought, lightning, cut roots, packed-down soil and construction damage. Think of a new driveway, a pool dig or fill dirt piled over the roots. A dry spring can stress a tree, and the fungus may grow and spread once the rains come back.
What to do: Cankers can’t be treated. Once the fungus shows on the trunk, UF/IFAS says the tree probably won’t survive. From there it becomes a safety question, because the decay weakens the wood. Have a certified arborist check whether the tree threatens your house, driveway or the street.
4. What Are the Small Resin Globs on My Pine Tree?
Dime-sized globs of whitish or reddish resin on the bark are called pitch tubes. They often mean Ips bark beetles are boring in. The Florida Forest Service lists three Ips species in Florida.
Other signs include reddish-brown boring dust in the bark cracks or at the base of the trunk, tiny round exit holes, and needles that fade from yellow to rusty red. A badly stressed pine may not make pitch tubes at all. Then the dust may be your only clue.
What to do: Ips beetles mostly attack weak trees. Insecticides only help as prevention on valuable trees before an attack. They won’t save a tree that’s already infested. Watering pines during dry spells helps them fight back. A pine that’s already infested and fading usually needs to come down before it becomes a hazard.
5. Why Did My Avocado or Redbay Wilt in a Few Weeks?
Leaves that suddenly wilt and turn brown but stay on the tree are a key sign of laurel wilt. A tiny ambrosia beetle carries a fungus that blocks the tree’s water flow. It attacks trees in the laurel family, including redbay, swampbay, sassafras and avocado.
UF/IFAS reports laurel wilt in all 67 Florida counties. Infected trees can die within a few weeks or months. In avocados, it can also spread through roots that have grown together between trees planted close to each other.
What to do: Get a diagnosis first. Frost damage and black twig borers can look a lot like laurel wilt. Don’t move the wood off your property as firewood. Laurel wilt first reached Central Florida when wood infested with the beetles was moved here.
When Should You Call an Arborist About Tree Pests and Diseases in Central Florida?
Call a pro when a sign points to decay or death in a tree big enough to hit something. Most of these problems can’t be cured, so the job is often about safety and protecting the trees nearby. Signs to act on:
- A palm crown that browns from the bottom up over weeks, not months
- A conk or shelf fungus anywhere on a trunk or at the base
- Bark falling off an oak, showing gray or black crust
- Pitch tubes or red boring dust on a pine near your house
- Leaves that wilt and turn brown but don’t fall
- Dead limbs over a roof, driveway, sidewalk or play area
- Any of these signs as hurricane season gets close
An arborist can tell a real disease from look-alikes like frost injury, normal frond shedding or a nutrient problem. They can also help you choose between trimming, watching and removal. For some diseases, a lab test through your county Extension office confirms the diagnosis.
Why McCullough Tree Service Is a Fit
- McCullough Tree Service is family-owned and operated, based in Longwood.
- We have 3 ISA-Certified Arborists on staff who offer certified arborist consultations for trees that look sick.
- We are fully insured.
- Our crews work in Orange and Seminole counties, including Orlando.
- We offer free estimates and financing options.
If a tree in your yard shows any of these signs, call (407) 734-5854 or book a free estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a lab test to know if my palm has a deadly disease?
For lethal bronzing, a lab test is the only way to confirm it. Your county UF/IFAS Extension office can explain how to collect and submit a sample.
Can lethal bronzing spread on pruning tools?
No. UF/IFAS says the lethal bronzing pathogen can’t survive outside a living palm, so pruning tools don’t spread it. The American palm cixiid, a small sap-sucking insect, is what carries it.
Can I plant a new palm where one died from Ganoderma butt rot?
UF/IFAS advises against it without special precautions, because the fungus survives in the soil. Grinding or removing the old stump also helps by removing the place where spore-producing conks grow.
Does McCullough Tree Service charge to look at a sick tree?
McCullough Tree Service offers free estimates, and financing options are available. Call (407) 734-5854 to schedule one.
Recommended Reads
- McCullough Tree Service in Orlando & Central Florida
- Certified Arborist in Orlando & Central Florida
- Storm Damage Tree Cleanup in Orlando & Central Florida
Sources
- gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu
- ask.ifas.ufl.edu
- blogs.ifas.ufl.edu
- ask.ifas.ufl.edu
- ask.ifas.ufl.edu
- hos.ifas.ufl.edu
