National Invasive Species Awareness Week: Visit Some Beeches

February 25, 2023

Visit Some Beeches During National Invasive Species Awareness Week

American beech (Fagus grandifolia) illustrates the potential impacts of invasive species. Impacts from invasive species threaten the tree and the wildlife that depends on it. One invasive species has long-ravaged this tree in the northeast, and two more threaten its future.

In this new US forest service podcast, you can learn more about beech bark disease and learn about beech leaf-mining weevil in this Don't Move Firewood blog post.

We ask you to focus on beech leaf disease on this beech excursion.


Beech leaf disease was noticed in Ohio in 2012 and first documented in Maine in 2021. We want to know where else in Maine beech leaf disease is found, and you can help.


American beech is among our native tree species with marcescent leaves. Many fail to shed all their leaves in the fall. This trait can be used to survey for beech leaf disease throughout winter. To identify potential beech leaf disease, look for dark banding between the veins of beech leaves.

Please let us know if you find beech leaf disease in a new area.


#NISAW #InvasiveSpecies #BeechLeafDisease