Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Plant Species >> Trees

Birch with Holes and Brown Leaves: Call a Forester

A birch in CT has D-shaped and pencil-sized holes spiraling up the trunk, brown lower leaves, declining health. Local nurseries couldn't help; owner can't find an arborist.

Recommendation

Contact the CT Department of Forestry for a free on-site inspection by a state forester. They can diagnose borers, disease, or stress and prescribe treatment.

County contacts: ct.gov/dep

Do not delay—borer damage progresses quickly.

Trees: Diagnosing Bark Peeling and Leaf Loss in Birch Trees; Pine Tree Holes in Rows: Sapsucker Woodpecker Damage; Cedar Spruce Sap Sucker Damage: Bird-Caused Holes Misidentified as Borers; Purple Birch Transplant Recovery: Addressing Wire Basket and Watering Mistakes; Dealing with a Slimy, Odorous Tree Stump; Heritage River Birch Slow to Leaf After Late Freeze in Nebraska; Birch Borer Larvae in Limb: Wound Care and Systemic Protection; Hollow Birch Trunk: Decay Fungus, Tree Still Healthy; Tree Fertilizer Spikes vs. Broadcast: Broadcast Wins; Catalpa Tree Borers: Bronze Birch Borer Likely—Trunk Spray Required

Garden Articles

White Birch Decline After Spring Pruning: Sap Flow and Bacterial Wetwood

Harvesting Birch Bark: Sustainable Practices

White Birch Bark Peeled by Child: Likely Fine, Watch for Borers

Sapsucker Damage on Ornamental Pear: Identification and Response

Birch Bark Injury: Clean, Spray for Borers, Fertilize

Birch Tree Top Death: Bronze Birch Borer Emergency

River Birch (Betula nigra): The Four-Season Star for Difficult Sites

Plants

Woodpecker and Sapsucker Damage on Magnolia Trees

Evaluating Decay and Holes in an Old Oak Tree

Birch Tree Near House: Don’t Top—Prune Selectively Instead

Oak Tree Cavity Assessment: When Holes Indicate Hazard

River Birch Near Driveway/Foundation: Use Dwarf Cultivar

Woodpecker Holes in Oak Trees: Sapsucker Damage and Carpenter Ants

Elm Tree Sapsucker Holes: Identification and Management