Dutch elm disease recently found in a downtown tree is the 17th case of the ailment found in the city since it was first discovered here two years ago. The City of Edmonton said in a media release on Monday that the tree, which crews cut down on Aug. 14, was proactively removed because of its proximity to an elm within 20 metres of it that was previously confirmed to have the disease as well. The city said proactive removal of infected trees and any elms within 20 metres of them helps reduce the amount of habitat for bark beetles that spread the disease. Dutch elm disease is a fungal infection that spreads easily between trees. Edmonton is home to about 90,000 elm trees that make up 22 per cent of the city’s public tree inventory. Thousands more in the city stand on private land. Eight of the 17 cases of Dutch elm disease found in Edmonton since 2024 are new this year: three have been reported in Rossdale, two each in Glengarry and downtown, and one each in Delwood and in Northmount. Since it was first detected in North America in 1930, the disease has killed millions of elms across the continent. The city suggests removing bark beetle habitat by pruning dead, dying or diseased elm tree branches between Oct. 1 and March 31, by disposing of elm wood immediately by burning it or taking it to the Edmonton Waste Management Centre and not combine elm wood with any other waste, including food scraps. The city maintains a webpage with more information on how to contain the disease’s spread.
