A new health threat is endangering the Indian laurel trees across various locations in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. A non-pollinating wasp species is infesting several trees in the area, leading to deformations in young shoots and galls on leaves, according to Carlos Tarife, the Councillor for Public Services in the municipal government.
Tarife reported the issue during a municipal council meeting, prompted by a question from the Vox political party regarding measures to preserve these historic trees. He stated that the council is working closely with the Canary Islands Agricultural Research Institute to eliminate these pests.
He noted that experimental treatments using plant endotherapy have been initiated on laurels in García Sanabria Park, where their progress is being monitored to assess the effectiveness of these methods.
In other affected areas, Tarife mentioned that combined treatments are being applied in hopes of saving the trees. If it is determined that the trees cannot be salvaged, they will be replaced, similar to the recent replacements on the final stretch of the Rambla.
The councillor also pointed out that symptoms affecting approximately 10% of the ficus trees in the municipality have been observed over the past few years, resulting in gradual defoliation and wilting that have severely reduced tree cover.
To address this, various leaf fertilisation programmes have been in place for several years, along with increased water supply and targeted pruning, such as in the new flower beds along the Rambla. Tarife emphasised that although the removal of 25 deceased Indian laurels in this area was met with criticism, the results have been encouraging. The Council for Parks and Gardens plans to gradually extend this work to the Las Tinajas area to provide more space and improve soil conditions for tree growth.
