Disease Stalks Florida's Palms

A mystery disease is eating away at the sabal palm, Florida’s state tree, and scientists say the prospects of successfully fighting the disease are slim. The AP reports that an increasing number of the trees, which can grow up to 50 feet tall, have suffered collapsed canopies. "There's going to be fewer palms,” one state pathologist said.

Scientists face two difficulties in combating the tree-killer: They must first identify the disease, and then identify its insect vector. Even after that, stopping the insects could take resources the state doesn’t have, especially as the economic downturn has slowed funds to the main agricultural science center at the University of Florida, which is researching the pathogen. (More Florida stories.)