Laurel wilt is a newly discovered fungal disease that presents a major threat to sassafras in Kentucky. The disease was first detected in the U.S. in 2003 and in southwestern Kentucky in 2019. Currently, laurel wilt is known to occur in eleven southeastern states bordered by Kentucky (north), North Carolina (east), Florida (south), and Texas (west). Research is ongoing to determine the impact and distribution of both the laurel wilt fungus and the redbay ambrosia beetle that carries it.