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Glossary
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A
Abiotic
Non-living agent affecting plant health. Salt damage, pollution, and nutrient deficiencies are examples.
Abscisic acid
A plant hormone. Plays a role in closing of stomata during drought and is known as the "plant stress hormone".
Anthracnose
Name for several types of foliar diseases that cause dead areas or blotches on the leaves. Many are simply foliar diseases but there several that cause disfiguring and even fatal cankers on twigs and stems.
Arboriculture
The branch of science dedicated to study of trees and tree care.
Arborist
A tree care professional.
Auxin
A plant hormone. Auxins are mostly responsible for cell division and elongation and is known as "the growth hormone".
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B
Biotic
Living agent that can affect plant health. Fungi, bacteria, insects, and nematodes are examples of this.
Blight
Large dead areas on leaves, shoots, or flowers, often occurring rapidly.
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C
Cambium
The layer of cells responsible for the creation of the xylem and phloem tissue in a plant.
Canker
Localized, sunken, dead area on a twig, branch, or stem.
Chlorophyll
Molecule created by plants for the activity of photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color.
Chlorosis
Condition where a plant is unable to properly manufacture chlorophyll, results in a plant that appears yellow.
Cytokinins
A plant hormone. Responsible for promoting cellular divison.
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D
DBH
Diameter at Breast Height. DBH is a standard forestry measurement used by arborists to classify, dose, and price tree services. By convention, DBH is always measured at 4'6" off the ground.
Defoliation
Term for leaves falling off a tree prematurely. Often a symptom of a tree health issue.
Dieback
Gradual death of individual branches or groups of branches, often beginning at the top or outer portion of the canopy.
Disease
A plant disease is an abnormal condition of a plant that impairs plant functions, associated with specific symptoms and signs.
Disorder
A plant disorder is an abnormal condition of a plant that impairs plant functions, associated with specific symptoms and usually the result of an abiotic agent.
Distortion
Twisting or abnormal shaped leaves.
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E
Efficacy
The capacity to produce an effect. Often used to describe how effective a given treatment will be.
Ethylene
A plant hormone. Plays a role in leaf drop and fruit ripening.
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F
Fibrous roots
Small 'feeder roots' responsible for the majority of water and nutrient uptake. Fibrous roots are almost all found within the top 12" of the soil, often concetrated around the dripline and along the base of the trunk.
Flagging
Term for a single branch or limb turning a yellow or discolored while the rest of the canopy remains green. Often the first signs of a health issue.
Fungi
A Kingdom of organisms with worldwide distribution and an estimated 1.5 million species. Most fungi are microscopic, reproduce via spores, and are resposible for the vast majority of plant diseases. Not all fungi cause disease, however. Fungi produce their food either as saprophytes (living off deceased material), as parasites (living off other living organisms), or as symbiants (living in a mutually beneficial relationship with an other organism). Fungi are an important aspect of the nutrient cycle and contribute to the health of urban forests.
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G
Gall
Abnormal swelling of a portion of a branch, leaf, root, bud (“tumor”).
Gibberelic acid
A plant hormone. GA is responsible for cellular elongation and many aspects of seed germination.
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H
Hormone
A chemical produced on one part of an organism, then transported and used to induce a change in another part. Hormones are active at very low concentrations.
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I
Infusion
Term covering the process of introducing a given volume of solution directly into a plant. Infusion is synonmous with Injection.
Injection
Term covering the process of introducing a given volume of solution directly into a plant. Injection is synonmous with Infusion.
Insect
Organisms with exoskeletons and three distinct body parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), 3 pairs of jointed legs, and 2 antenna. Insects can be pests to trees but also play an important beneficial role with pollination and many ecosystem functions.
Instars
Term for the different growth stages of an insect larvae and nymphs.
Interveinal chlorosis
Symptom where the leaf tissue turns yellow while the veins stay green. Common with nutrient deficiencies like iron and manganese.
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L
Larvae
Immature insect that does not resemble the adult insect. Caterpillars, grubs, and maggots are examples of larvae.
Leaf Spots-
Small discolored areas on foliage.
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M
Macro Infusion
Process of introducing large volumes of solution directly into a tree's vascular system.
Marginal necrosis
Brown/dead tissue around edge of leaves.
Meristem
A growing point on twig, branch, or root.
Micro Infusion
Process of introducing small volumes of solution directly into a tree's vascular system.
Mulch
Any non-living material placed on the soil surface. Mulch can be organic matter like wood chips or pine straw or inorganic materials like rock or shredded rubber. Mulch should never be more than a few inches deep and should never be piled up along the trunk of a tree.
Mycelium
The vegetative part of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like gorwths known as hyphae.
Mycorrhizae
Term for a symbiotic relationship between a fungi and a plant. In most mycorrhizal associations the fungus obtains carbohydrates from the plant and in turn assist the plant in uptake of water and nutrients.
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N
Nematode
A microscopic, worm-like organism also known as 'roundworms'. Nematodes can be parasitic to both plants and animals.
Nymph
Immature insect that does resemble the adult insect. Bugs, leafhoppers, grasshoppers are examples of insects with nymph stages.
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P
Phloem
Tree tissue that transports the sugars produced by the leaves to other parts of the tree. Phloem is found directly under the bark and is part of the trees vascular system.
Photosynthesis
Biochemical reaction where light is combined with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen to produce sugar.
Plant Health Care
Divison of agricultural sciences dedicated to protecting and treating plants for pest and disease problems. PHC can encompass cultural, chemical, and biological solutions to promote plant health.
Preventive
Any treatment prescribed prior to the onset of a disease or pest. Many tree health issues can only be treated preventively.
Prophylactic
Any treatment prescribed prior to the onset of a disease or pest. Prophylactic is synonmous with preventive.
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R
Radial Trenching
Process of soil replacement therapy used to promote root health. Soil is removed, usually by using a Air-Spade, in a spoke-like pattern coming out from the base of the tree. Trenches are then filled back in with the native soil or with a prescribed organic matter mix.
Root collar
Zone on a tree at the interface between the trunk and the beginning of the root system. When planted correctly the root collar should be right at or slightly above the soil surface.
Root flares
The root flare is the area where a tree begins to flare outward at ground level. This is a critical part of the tree where trunk tissue changes into root tissue. If this area is covered with soil and kept moist for extended periods of time, the tissue begins to breakdown, leaving the tree susceptible to many health risks. Root flares are also an important site of application for tree injection techniques like Macro and Micro-Infusion.
Root grafts
Term for the root systems of two separate trees fused together and sharing fluids between them. Root grafts are an important mechanism of transfer for many tree diseases.
Roots
The organ of a tree that is most often, but not always, found below the ground. Roots are responsible for anchoring a plant to the soil as well as being the primary entry site for water and nutrients. Most tree roots are found within the top 12-18" of the soil.
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S
Scorch
Burnt appearance of leaves, results from a water deficit.
Shrub
Woody plant, typically multistemmed and under 20' in height. Many species can be trees or shrubs depending on the growth habit and the horticultural training.
Sign
An aspect of a disease that can be objectively observed. Mushrooms, mycellium, and bacterium are examples of signs.
Soil Drench
Treatment application method by which a solution is applied to the soil under a plant and then taken up sytemically by the plant. Also called 'Basal Drench' when applied right at the base of the tree.
Soil Injection
Treatment application method by which a solution is applied to the soil using pressurized injection equipment and then taken up sytemically by the plant.
Soil replacement therapy
Process of removing and replacing the soil within a given growing site. May be prescribed for compacted soil, water logged soil, or soils where contamination has occurred.
Spore
The reproductive structure of many types of organisms including fungi. Spores are adapted for dispersal and for surviving long periods of time in unfavorable conditions. In favorable conditions, a spore will germinate and grow similar to a seed.
Stem Girdling Roots
Condition where a tree's root system has grown around the trunk of the tree and has begun to impede the growth of the trunk thereby preventing sugars from getting to the roots. The root systems of these trees suffer and the tree usually becomes a structural risk as this continues.
Stunting
Abnormally small size of entire plant.
Symptom
A condition visible on a tree that is a host response from a disease or insect infestation. Examples of symptoms include wilt, scorch, stunting, chlorosis, flagging, and witches brooming.
Systemic
Term for the action of something being absorbed through the roots of the plant and transported throughout the tree's vascular system.
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T
Therapeutic
Treatment of a pest or disease after the host is infected or infested.
titer
A specific concentration of a solution.
Tracing
Process pioneered by Rainbow Treecare for saving infected elm trees. Tracing invloves removing infected limbs then 'tracing' the progression of the fungus down the trunk and isolating it. Tracing is difficult and time consuming but has been used successfully many times.
Translaminar
The ability for a product to move from one surface of a leaf to the other. Not all foliar spray products have translaminar abilities.
Transpiration
The process of evaporation of water through a plant. Water enters the plants through the roots, moves through the vascular system and exits the plant though the leaves.
Tree
A woody, perennial plant with single or multiple stems and a branched canopy.
Tree Growth Regulator
A product applied to trees that affects the normal growth habit, often resulting in secondary benefits like increased root production, thicker leaves, and increased drought tolerance.
Tyloses
Growths within xylem cells that can 'dam' up the vascular system and prevent the spread of a infectous disease. Not all trees have tyloses.
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V
Vascular System
A plant's transport tissue for water and nutrients. The vascular system is comprised of the xylem, phloem, and cambium.
Vector
Any organism which transmits a disease from an infected source to an unifected source.
Veinal chlorosis
Condition where the veins of a leaf turn yellow while the rest of the leaf tissue stays green.
Virus
A microscopic infectous agent which can only reproduce inside a host cell. Many plant diseases are caused by viruses.
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W
Wilt
limp condition of leaves, due to water deficit
Witches brooming
A “broom-like” growth or massed proliferation caused by dense clustering of branches.
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X
Xylem
The water conducting tissue of a tree. Xylem forms both the heartwood and sapwood of a tree.
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