Spotted Lanternfly in Tennessee: Northeast TN Confirmed, Nashville Not Yet — What Tennesseans Should Know
Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) confirmed its presence in Tennessee in 2022, with Sullivan County and Hawkins County in the far northeastern corner of the state as the initial detection points. These counties sit directly on the Virginia and Kentucky state lines — Sullivan County borders Scott County and Lee County, Virginia, and Hawkins County is adjacent to Wise County and Russell County, Virginia, both of which have established SLF populations tied to the I-81 and US-58 corridors.
An important clarification for Tennesseans: As of 2026, SLF is confirmed in northeast Tennessee — primarily Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the Tri-Cities region (Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City) and adjacent communities. SLF has NOT been confirmed in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, or Middle and West Tennessee. This is not like Virginia or Pennsylvania, where the infestation is statewide. Tennessee's SLF situation is currently localized in the extreme northeast, and management actions taken now can meaningfully affect how far and how fast it spreads.How SLF Arrived in Northeast Tennessee — and Why It Started There
Northeast Tennessee's SLF arrival follows a straightforward logic. The I-81 corridor is the primary highway spine running through the valley-and-ridge Appalachian geography from Pennsylvania through Virginia into Tennessee. By 2022, I-81 in Virginia was running through heavily infested territory from the Northern Shenandoah Valley south through Roanoke and into the New River Valley. I-81 crosses into Tennessee at Bristol, entering Sullivan County.
Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia — the city split directly by the state line — was a natural introduction point. The US-11W corridor (the old Valley Pike) parallels I-81 and continues through Kingsport into Hawkins County. The region's commuter and freight connections to southwest Virginia's SLF-established territory ensured repeated introductions before any single population was officially confirmed.
Sullivan County (Bristol, Kingsport) has the highest SLF density in Tennessee as of 2026. The county's urban core along I-81 and US-11W, combined with the tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) populations growing on highway cuts, rail corridors, and disturbed slopes throughout the Appalachian ridges and valleys, provides ideal habitat. Hawkins County (Rogersville, Church Hill) confirmed SLF and is an active establishment zone. The county's rural agricultural landscape — mixed crop, small-scale orchard, and pasture — is now operating under active SLF monitoring. Washington County (Johnson City) and Carter County (Elizabethton) are in the active watch zone as SLF spreads west and south from the initial Sullivan/Hawkins confirmation area.Appalachian Landscape: Tree of Heaven and the Spread Pathway
Northeast Tennessee's Appalachian landscape is characterized by ridge-and-valley topography, with TOH growing densely on nearly every disturbed slope, roadcut, mine spoil, and transportation corridor in the region. The combination of abundant highway infrastructure (I-81, I-26, US-11W, US-19E, US-23) and ubiquitous TOH creates conditions that will support rapid SLF spread unless active tree removal and population suppression programs are implemented.
The TOH situation in northeast TN is severe. Unlike the relatively flat mid-Atlantic where TOH grows along suburban roadsides, Appalachian TOH infests entire ridge faces, hollow edges, and creek drainages. On highway cuts through the ridges — particularly along I-81 and I-26 in Sullivan and Washington counties — TOH forms continuous stands that are both extensive and difficult to manage at scale.The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (Division of Forestry) has identified TOH removal programs in northeast TN as a primary SLF management focus. Local conservation districts and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Tennessee have been involved in targeting TOH on private agricultural land through existing invasive species programs.
The risk pathway into Knoxville and beyond: I-81 ends at I-40 east of Knoxville in Knox County. If SLF follows the I-81 corridor west from Sullivan County into Washington, Greene, and Hamblen counties (all with substantial TOH), it will eventually reach the Knoxville metro via I-81/I-40. From Knoxville, I-40 runs west all the way to Nashville and Memphis. The corridor is long, but the TOH populations are continuous.Agriculture: Apple Orchards and the Grain Connection
Northeast Tennessee's agricultural sector includes small apple orchards scattered through the mountain counties (Carter, Unicoi, and Johnson counties), vegetable production, and livestock operations. While SLF does not consume fruit, it feeds on apple trees and the associated stress and sooty mold can affect tree health and marketability of orchard operations that don't implement management.
Tennessee whiskey and grain: Tennessee is famous for its distilled spirits industry — Jack Daniel's (Moore County), George Dickel (Coffee County), and dozens of craft distilleries throughout Middle Tennessee produce Tennessee whiskey from corn, rye, and malted barley. SLF does not directly attack these grain crops, and the whiskey distillery region in Middle and South-Central Tennessee is nowhere near current SLF territory. However, any agricultural spread model that has SLF reaching the Nashville Basin and Middle Tennessee should be monitored, as commercial grain and hops operations in the state would face the same secondary-host stress that has been documented in Pennsylvania.For now: the Tennessee whiskey industry is not under direct SLF threat. The priority is managing the northeast TN population before it advances further.
What TDAF Is Doing
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDAF), through its Division of Forestry and Plant Industries, leads the state's SLF response. TDAF coordinates with USDA APHIS on the federal monitoring and regulatory framework and provides the formal reporting intake for new detections.
Tennessee Cooperative Extension (University of Tennessee Extension and Tennessee State University Extension) has developed identification guides and outreach materials for northeast TN landowners, farmers, and county agents.
TOH removal grants and programs: TDAF and NRCS have coordinated to make TOH removal assistance available to agricultural landowners in Sullivan and Hawkins counties as part of broader invasive species management. Contact your local UT Extension office or the TDAF Nashville headquarters at tn.gov/agriculture for current program availability.What Tennessee Residents Should Do in 2026
If You Are in Sullivan or Hawkins County
You are in confirmed SLF territory. Adult season is beginning now (late June). Act immediately:
Now (adults, late June through October):- Install circle traps on tree of heaven and high-value landscape trees
- Apply dinotefuran trunk bands on TOH you cannot remove this season — this converts TOH into a trap tree that kills SLF feeding on it
- Contact spray with bifenthrin for immediate knockdown on high-density aggregations
- See our complete SLF kill method guide
If You Are Elsewhere in Tennessee
SLF has NOT been confirmed in your county. Your best action is:
- Learn to identify SLF — adults (distinctive gray-spotted with red hindwings), nymphs (black with white spots early, red with white spots late), and egg masses (gray putty-like patches on any smooth surface)
- Report any sighting immediately to TDAF — a confirmed sighting outside northeast TN is a high-priority detection
- Don't move firewood, stone, or outdoor items from northeast TN into your area without inspection
- Learn to identify tree of heaven — see our TOH guide — and consider removing it from your property proactively
Reporting to TDAF
How to report in Tennessee:- TDAF: tn.gov/agriculture — Plant Industries section
- UT Extension: contact your county extension office
- iNaturalist: tag as Lycorma delicatula — immediately visible to state and federal monitors
Include: county, nearest community, date, life stage, and a photo.
Use our SLF map to see current confirmed locations in Tennessee and neighboring states.
Key Sources
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Plant Industries Division. tn.gov/agriculture.
- University of Tennessee Extension. "Spotted Lanternfly." extension.tennessee.edu.
- USDA APHIS. "Spotted Lanternfly." aphis.usda.gov.
- Virginia Cooperative Extension. "Spotted Lanternfly." ext.vt.edu.
- Penn State Extension. "Spotted Lanternfly." extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly.
Related: How to Kill Spotted Lanternfly · Tree of Heaven Identification · SLF Spread Map · Spotted Lanternfly in Virginia