In this Cleveland.com article, Davey Tree plays a role in researching beech leaf disease to understand the disease and prevent it from claiming more trees. 

Posted: July 02, 2025

A large beech tree with green foliage standing tall in front of a stone building.When Reader Pam emailed photos of curled, “sad” leaves on beech trees in her backyard and in a neighboring Cleveland Metropark, the diagnosis was unfortunately quick: beech leaf disease was affecting her tree canopy. The hard part was finding out what, if anything, a Northeast Ohio home gardener can do and whether we should start preparing for another round of deforestation, just as we are recovering from the devastation to ash trees over the last decade.

BLD, which primarily affects American beech (Fagus grandifolia), was first identified—not just in Ohio, but anywhere—in Lake County in 2012. Since then, it has spread eastward all the way to Maine and into southern Ontario, though more slowly to the west and south. In heavily affected areas, up to 30% of beech trees are killed within seven years of contracting BLD. The leaves darken between the veins, curl, become leathery, and eventually lead to tree thinning or even death.

To continue reading this article, click here. 

The Davey Tree Expert Company, headquartered in Kent, Ohio, provides research-driven tree services, grounds maintenance and environmental and utility infrastructure consulting for residential, utility, commercial and environmental partners in the U.S. and Canada. As one of the top ten largest employee-owned companies in the U.S., Davey's 12,000 employees have been dedicated to creating and delivering sustainable solutions since 1880. Apply today to join the Davey legacy, and learn about how we're growing with our new SEED Campus

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