Thursday, January 12, 2012

Myrtle Rust

Myrtle Rust on Lilly-Pilly , Syzygium australe

A friend rang me this week to tell me that the leaves on his Lilly Pilly were turning orange. When I went to visit, it turned out to be the dreaded myrtle rust so we removed the shrub and put it into plastic bags to kill the pest spores. We probably didn't need to take such drastic action, as a call to the Department of Primary Industries "pest hotline" gave very helpful advice on what fungicides to use to control its spread. (Their phone number in New South Wales is 1800 084 881) It is important to take a vigilant stance against the spread of myrtle rust . It affects all members of the Myrtaceae family including Gum trees (Eucalyptus), Bottlebrush (Callistemon and Melaleuca) ,Tea Tree (Leptospermum) ,Lilly Pilly (Syzygium, Acmena and Waterhousia ), Willow Myrtle (Agonis),Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia), Midyim Berry (Austromyrtus), Brush box (Lophostemon) New Zealand Christmas Bush (Metrosideros) and the fruiting exotic Gauva and Feijoa

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