WHITE OAK TREE DIEING

[barrentine]

These are pics of a white oak that all of a sudden died.Can someone tell me what the black streaks up and down the trunk are.thanks

 

[RobertBrown]

These are pics of a white oak that all of a sudden died.Can someone tell me what the black streaks up and down the trunk are.thanks

Looks like lightening from here. That's my guess....final answer "lightening".
That's too bad, it was a nice tree. Maybe you could turn it into furniture? Or a mantle?

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Or a baseball bat? I like white oak, it is a wonderful wood for woodworking, once you get it planed.

 

[dave1949]

Or a baseball bat? I like white oak, it is a wonderful wood for woodworking, once you get it planed.

Like the Robert Redford baseball movie? I vote for lightning too. If the tree is dying, those marks may have come from the inside out. Lightning doesn't always kill a tree. You could wait until next spring and see if it makes any sort of comeback.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Don't know where you are located, but from the National Geographic:
"Scientists are in a race against time to stifle the spread of a fungal disease that has killed tens of thousands of stately oak trees in California and southwestern Oregon. Many people fear it may spread and similarly wipe out large swaths of forest in the eastern United States and Canada. The disease, called sudden oak death, was first detected in 1955 in California tan oaks."

If you have a lot of Oak trees, I wouldn't mess around with it just in case it is a fungus. Call an arborist or forester to have them look at it. If it is a fungus, they recommend cutting and burning the tree immediately to stop the spread.

 

[Bob Ha]

We had a large oak die this year. One day is was doing good and next all leaves were brown. We had a lightening strike about 30 yards from the tree. Electric company had to come out and change transformer. I'm guessing the strike went up or down the tree to the electricity ground since all sides have green vines around the trunk and one side the vines are also dead. No signs of any damage to the tree. Hoping it comes back out next spring.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

If the leaves turn brown and fall off, that tree is likely just going into remission and it will come back next spring. If all the leaves turn brown and stay on the tree, that is not a good sign.

 

[LD1]

Hard to tell by the pics. Are the darkened spots the bark or flush with the outside of the bark?? Or are they recessed and the black is a layer under the bark? One pic looks one way, the other looks the other way?

I agree it could be a lightning strike??

I'd give it a year or two and see if it comes back. If it does not and bark starts peeling loose...firewood. Its a big tree, probabally past its prime, and lead a good life. Trees dont live forever either.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Like the Robert Redford baseball movie? I vote for lightning too. If the tree is dying, those marks may have come from the inside out. Lightning doesn't always kill a tree. You could wait until next spring and see if it makes any sort of comeback.

Yep. It's nice to know that someone understands me once in a while. :laughing:

 

[Pilot]

Google sudden oak death--your pics look a lot like it. If that's what it is, that's bad. Call your extension agent and get it checked out. Nothing to mess with as it kill lots of plants besides oaks and it's best to stop it when it first shows. Could have been imported into your area on nursery stock.

No experience with white oaks, but lightning that strikes Douglas-firs usually makes a track about 4" wide that gradually spirals down the tree. I have never seen lightning damage show discontinuous strips as your pics show.