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Evanston to inoculate about 1,500 American elms with targeted antifungal treatment
Summary
Tom Mainardi, Evanston's city arborist, said the city will inoculate roughly 1,500 American elms on public property starting mid-June 2026 with individualized antifungal injections, a program run with Emerald Tree Care and Rainbow EcoScience to reduce disease pressure and preserve mature trees.
Tom Mainardi, the city arborist and forestry supervisor for the City of Evanston, said the city will inoculate roughly 1,500 American elm trees on public property with a targeted antifungal treatment beginning in mid-June and continuing through September 2026.
"Trees are one of our city's most valuable assets, shaping our neighborhoods, improving air quality, reducing storm water runoff, and enhancing property values," Mainardi said, describing the rationale for the program.
The city is partnering with Emerald Tree Care and Rainbow EcoScience to carry out the injections, which Mainardi described as a "precise and carefully monitored procedure." City staff said the antifungal formulation will be individually tailored for each tree and administered with meticulous precision to ensure optimal absorption and effectiveness.
Mainardi said the protocol is a critical component of managing the long-term vitality and resilience of American elms. "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," he said.
No funding amounts, permits, or additional regulatory approvals were specified in the remarks. The city expects the inoculation work to start in mid-June 2026 and to be completed by September 2026.
Officials said the effort is aimed at protecting mature street and park trees rather than replacing them, and that the treatment will be applied only to trees on public property.
