Officials with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine program (PPQ) issued a federal order on Monday (Feb. 22) adding 10 species to the list of plants regulated for Phytophthora ramorum. The plants have been identified them as hosts of the pathogen, and now will be regulated in accordance with earlier regulations issued in 2007.
The 10 plant species are Mexican orange (Choisya ternate), kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa), Daphniphyllum glaucescens, European holly (Ilex aquifolium), Japanese oak (Lithocarpus glaber), Magnolia cavalieri, Magnolia foveolata, bayleaf currant (Ribes laurifolium), bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), and cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), also known as lingon berry or mountain cranberry.
According to the order, any nursery currently operating under a compliance agreement with APHIS may continue to ship these newly listed plants and any other previously identified hosts and associated plants. However, any nurseries NOT currently operating under a compliance agreement must be inspected, sampled, tested and placed under an compliance agreement by March 31 – that is, if they grow any of the newly listed plants, and if they wish to ship plants across state lines. Read the complete order for additional details.
