Rome's iconic pines, hit hard by a nasty parasite, now face their own pandemic

[mahatmakanejeeves]

World

Rome’s iconic pines, hit hard by a nasty parasite, now face their own pandemic



In the Roman park of Villa Pamphilj, pine trees have been severely affected by the encroachment of the North American pine tortoise scale. (Federica Valabrega for The Washington Post)

By Stefano Pitrelli
Yesterday at 7:00 a.m. EDT

ROME — This city's iconic pine trees, a feature of the landscape as historic as the Colosseum itself, are being choked to death by a foreign bug. And only shots and boosters seem to have a chance at saving them.

“I’m calling it a plant pandemic,” environmental activist Francesca Marranghello said of the trail of death that the thick-hided, brownish, sap-sucking invader is leaving in its wake. If the parasite, the North American pine tortoise scale, isn’t stopped, she fears “Rome will no longer look the same.”

The bug started making its way into the country around 2015 after first landing in Naples — probably unloaded from a cargo ship at the busy seaport, though that’s still unproven. From there, it sped northward, catching a ride on birds and gusts of wind.

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Via Gregorio VII is framed by pines with St. Peter’s Basilica in the background. (Federica Valabrega for The Washington Post)

“Such a grand tree rivals, in dignity, with buildings,” said Carlo Blasi, a plant ecologist at Rome’s La Sapienza University.

Classical music has even been composed to celebrate the pines, with the most famous being the symphonic poem for orchestra that Ottorino Respighi completed in 1924.

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By Stefano Pitrelli
Stefano Pitrelli is a reporter in the Rome bureau for The Washington Post. Twitter https://twitter.com/StefanoPitrelli

[Mickju]

1. I have played The Pines of Rome many times.

It's a wonderful piece.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Twitter reply:

Link to tweet