Butt Rot of Southern Hardwoods

Abstract

Butt rot is the most serious cause of cull throughout the South, and affects all hardwood species. Defined as any decay at the base of a living tree, butt rot accounts for the loss of millions of board feet of southern hardwood timber annually. In one study of loess and alluvial hardwood sites in the Midsouth, butt rot was found in 40 percent of the trees being harvested: 80 percent of the sugarberry, 68 percent of the beech, 39 percent of the red oak, 37 percent of the sweetgum, 29 percent of the white oak, and 33 percent of all other hardwood species.

Citation

McCracken, F. I. 1977. Butt Rot of Southern Hardwoods. Forest Insect & Disease Leaflet SHL-FIDL-43. Stoneville, MS: USDA-Forest Service, Southern Hardwoods Lab. 8 p.