Tree & Plant Care Guides
Pest identification, disease treatment, and tree care guidance from Eden Tree Pros' certified arborists — built from decades of work on Omaha-area trees and shrubs.
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Disease Guides
Bacterial Leaf Scorch
A newly recognized disease that browns foliage in mid to late summer and slowly declines a tree over years.
Diplodia Tip Blight
One of the most damaging pine diseases in Nebraska, caused by the fungus Sphaeropsis sapinea.
Dothistroma Needle Blight
One of the most common fungal diseases of pines in Nebraska, responsible for much of the premature needle drop seen in windbreaks and ornamental plantings.
Dutch Elm Disease
A fungal disease that has killed millions of elms across North America and Europe by attacking the tree's vascular system.
Iron Chlorosis
A common eastern Nebraska condition that leaves pin oaks and silver maples yellow and slow-growing — caused by soil chemistry, not a pest.
Phytophthora Root Rot
A fungal disease that attacks roots and stems, most common in poorly drained clay soils and over-irrigated sites.
Powdery Mildew
A foliage disease that shows up in warm, humid summer weather on dogwood, lilac, rose, and crape myrtle.
Verticillium Wilt
A soil-borne disease that can cause wilting, decline, and even failure across many kinds of landscape plants.
Fireblight
A bacterial disease that causes shoot blight and stem cankers on plants in the rose family, including some of the most common backyard fruit trees.
Needlecast
A fungus disease that causes premature defoliation and, over time, branch dieback in evergreen trees.
Scab
A foliage disease that leaves raised, dark lesions on leaves and drives premature defoliation in apples and crabapples.
Anthracnose
Anthracnose is a fungal disease favored by cool, rainy spring weather, and it can weaken or kill highly susceptible species like dogwood if left unmanaged.
Pest Guides
Emerald Ash Borer
Emerald ash borer has reached Nebraska's neighbors on every side. Here's what the pest does to ash trees and how injection treatment stops it.
Cottonwood Borer
This large black-and-white beetle tunnels into the lower trunk and roots of cottonwoods, and the damage often goes unnoticed until limbs start to fail.
Lilac Ash Borer
This wasp-mimicking moth targets the lower trunk of ash and lilac trees, and it's easy to mistake for the far more destructive emerald ash borer.
Pine Bark Beetle
Several species of bark beetles breed in Great Plains pines, and once a tree is infested, group-killing of nearby trees is common.
Pine Tip Moth
Larvae of this small moth tunnel into new shoots, killing tips and stunting the growth of Ponderosa, Austrian, Scotch, and Jack pines.
Zimmerman Pine Moth
This moth's larvae tunnel just beneath the bark of pine trunks and branches, and heavily infested trees can become deformed or die.
Elm Leaf Beetle
Larvae of this beetle consume elm leaves down to the veins, and adults are known for sheltering inside buildings once cold weather sets in.
Japanese Beetle
Adult Japanese beetles feed in groups on leaves and flowers of hundreds of plant species, while their grubs damage lawn and garden roots below ground.
Prairie Tent Caterpillar
This colony-forming caterpillar builds silk tents in tree forks that expand as the colony grows, and infestations often go unnoticed until a tree is heavily defoliated.
Hackberry Nipplegall Maker
This small, cicada-like psyllid causes the nipple-shaped galls commonly seen on hackberry leaves, though most galls don't seriously harm the tree.
Oak Leaf Gall
Numerous species of tiny wasps cause the gall growths found on oak leaves, leafstalks, and stems — most are unsightly rather than harmful.
Pine Needle Scale
A tiny, waxy-shelled insect that quietly whitens pine and spruce needles through the growing season and can wear down a tree's vigor over time.
Locust Borer
A wood-boring beetle that targets black locust trees, tunneling through sapwood and heartwood in a pattern that can weaken and eventually kill the tree.
Pine Sawfly
A needle-feeding pest whose bee-like adults and caterpillar-like larvae can strip young and old needles alike from several pine species common around Omaha.
Aphids
Aphids build up fast on tender new growth, and the sticky honeydew they leave behind can turn your tree's leaves black with sooty mold.
Lace Bug
Lace bugs feed on the underside of leaves all summer long, leaving behind stippled, browning foliage that can defoliate a heavily infested tree.
Spider Mites
Spider mites are barely visible to the naked eye, but their feeding can stipple and bleach foliage across an entire tree in a single season.
Bagworm Moth
Bagworm caterpillars build and live inside distinctive silk-and-twig bags, feeding on needles until a heavy infestation can weaken or kill the tree.
Ash Flower Gall Mite
Ash flower gall mites are tiny eriophyid mites that distort male flower clusters into unsightly galls, but the damage is mostly cosmetic and doesn't affect the tree's overall health.
Tree & Plant Care Guides
Drought & Moisture Stress
A non-infectious condition that accounts for most plant losses — and one of the most preventable, with the right irrigation and mulching.
Plant & Tree Fertilization
Trees need food to grow, just like they need air, light, and water — and most of that food has to come from the soil.
Watering
The single most important thing you can do for your tree is water it properly.
Cost to Remove a Tree
Tree removal cost depends heavily on the size and condition of the tree, and removal should always be a last resort after other options are ruled out.
Pruning
Pruning is more than trimming for a tidy look. Done correctly, it prevents pest infestations, supports plant health, and extends the life of your shrubs.
Root Care
Most of a tree's roots live in just the top foot of soil, which means construction, drainage issues, and de-icing salt can damage them more easily than people expect.
