Evanston Launches Long-Term Treatment Plan For City's American Elm Trees

EVANSTON, IL — Evanston is preparing to inoculate about 1,500 American elm trees on public property as part of a long-term effort to protect the species from Dutch elm disease.

The City said the injection process began this week and is expected to be completed by September 2026.

The work is being led by the Forestry Division of the Public Works Agency, which developed the effort. According to the City, the program is being carried out through a partnership with Emerald Tree Care and Rainbow Ecoscience, two organizations the City said provide expertise in tree health management and plant health care initiatives.

Evanston said it continues to focus on the health of its American elms as a Tree City USA community. These trees are highly susceptible to Dutch elm disease, which has decimated the American elm population nationwide. The treatment uses a targeted fungicide formulation, with an antifungal treatment individually formulated for each tree.

Thomas Iannetti, the City's Forestry Supervisor, addressed why timing matters in this kind of treatment.

“When applied at the appropriate moment, antifungal injections can be a highly effective management strategy, significantly reducing disease pressure while preserving mature trees that would otherwise face decline or removal,” Iannetti said.

According to the City, the inoculations must be repeated based on product recommendations to provide maximum protection against possible disease outbreaks. Evanston said it continues to use Arbotect, which has a three-year repeat cycle. The source also states that American elms are native to the region and provide ecosystem services to wildlife, other plants and people.

The City is also pointing private property owners to the same effort. Evanston's contract with Emerald Tree Care includes identical pricing for property owners with American elms on their property. Property owners who want to protect their trees are advised in the source to consult a certified arborist who specializes in plant health care and to create a management plan specific to each tree.

Residents can visit the City's Dutch Elm Disease webpage for more information, including current pricing, details about the City's 50/50 cost-share program and access to the sign-up form. That program is supported through the City's Tree Preservation Ordinance.