Landscaper’s Guide

Landscapers & Working with Nurseries Palms in the Purchasing restricted Palms outside of the quarantine Coachella Valley area and transporting into the protected area is prohibited by law.

If you are caught, expect the following actions against you—

♦ Civil Administrative

♦ Criminal

♦ Civil Action

Penalties will be imposed on violators. Riverside County PROOF OF PURCHASE MANDATORY Agricultural Commissioner Headquarters & District Office materials found in 4080 Lemon Street, Room 19, Basement P.O. Box 1089, Riverside, CA 95202-1089 violation of the Quarantine Office: (951) 955-3045 law shall be removed at the Facsimile: (951) 955-3012 owner’s expense. Civil fines Indio District Office and Jail time may apply to Office: (760) 863-8291 each violation. Facsimile: (760) 863-7702

California Date Commission P.O. Box 1736 Indio, Ca 92202 Office: (760) 347-4510 Facsimile: (760) 347-6374 Email: [email protected] Website: www.DatesAreGreat.com

04/08

Susceptible Palms Infectious to palm frond; discoloration of on one side of a palm frond and branches. Disease the Date Palm, dactylifera The disease can be carried on: Not Allowable for Transporting and InteriorInterior QuarantineQuarantine ⇒ Seeds Planting into a Protected Area ⇒ Adopted by the California Department ⇒ Saws Canary Island Date Palm, Phoenix canariensis of Food and Agriculture in 1980, this ⇒ Knives and other tools used quarantine was established to protect “This palm is a known carrier of fusarium wilt for trimming or pruning date fungus infectious to the Senegal Date Palm, P. the California Date industry from palms reclinata and Date Palm P. dactylifera” Fusarium oxysporum, a soil-borne These precautionary measures should be taken Clump Palm (Senegal Date Palm), Phoenix reclinata fungus spread with the Canary Island to prevent the disease from spreading when working on palm in the Coachella Valley. Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis). “Symptoms of the fusarium wilt fungus rarely shows on this ” 1. Do not use tools brought in from OUTSIDE The statewide quarantine prohibits Pygmy Date Palm, Phoenix roebelenii THE VALLEY. If you do, it is required all tools the movement of all plants and parts be STERILIZED before using on any palms. “Symptoms of the fusarium wilt fungus rarely for propagation of the palm genus Sterilization of all tools used in working on shows on this species” palms in the Coachella Valley should be Phoenix, and all tools used for standard practice. trimming or pruning of the genus 2. Do not use CHAINSAWS for cutting fronds as Phoenix into a protected area. Caring for your Customers Palms they are impossible to sterilize. Hand saws The causal organism Fusarium oxysporum is a are better. Protected Areas microscopic fungus belonging to the microflora of the soil. It can be spread by water, wind, 3. When trimming the palms, do not overlook ♦ Beginning at the Eastern boundary diseased offshoots, infected date tissues; any discoloration of leaves, branches, etc. of Cabazon through the Coachella especially infected wood or pieces of rachis, 4. It is your obligation to inform your Valley and ending in Blythe, and pruning devices. Supervisor or the Riverside County Riverside County Once the soil is infected, the fungus will persist Agricultural Commissioner’s office on any use of unauthorized tools, unusual change ♦ there almost indefinitely, thereby rendering it All of Imperial County unfit for any susceptible crop production. or appearance in palm fronds, cut branches, etc. ♦ Inyo County—Township 27 north, Disease enters the root system, causing wilting Range 1 east, which includes the and eventual death of Furnace Creek Ranch of Death a Phoenix genus palm. This palm was diagnosed in Valley Symptoms of an 1992. It is still alive and still shows Fusarium symptoms. infected palm include: The last stage will be “Rapid a rose to violet stain in Decline”, often a result of the center area of the shock. Infected Canary Date Palm