WHITE OAK TREE DIEING

[greasemonkeyok]

If it is sudden Oak death, it is bad advice to "give it a year or two" because you may not have any Oaks left in two years. It is a fungus that grows under the bark, and has the discontinuous look of the OP's pics.

 

[LD1]

Sounds like nasty stuff that sudden oak death. I've never seen nor heard of it. But it sounds like you ned to get a certified arborist to check it out now IMO.

 

[jinman]

Barrentine, I would scrape one of those spots to see how deep it is and what it looks like under the bark. If it's from lightning, it would show signs/smells of burning. As many have suggested, I think this is something more ominous than lightning, probably a fungus or sap that has run out after being attacked by some pest. When trees go into stress, they produce a lot of sugars and attract pests. Normally with bugs, you can find bore holes around spots. I think this is most likely a fungus and it has attacked the cambium layer below the bark. That does the same thing as girdling a tree.

You didn't say where you were, but if you have a county agricultural office, they might be able to help you for free rather than having to pay an arborist.

 

[RobertBrown]

He is in Georgia

 

[dstig1]

If you go over to Arboristsite.com they have a forum called Homeowner Help or the like. Lots of arborists there that should know. Take the best pictures you can so they have a decent chance at diagnosing. You will usually get a response pretty quickly. It at least gives you some ideas of what might be going on before you call in someone on site.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

"Sudden oak death is actually a misnomer," said Jean Williams-Woodward, a plant pathologist with UGA Cooperative Extension. "It isn't sudden, and it doesn't just affect oak trees."
The pathogen, first seen in California in 1995, has been popping up along Georgia waterways. The disease causes dark, bleeding, rust-colored cankers on the tree's trunk. On forest understory plants such as rhododendron, sudden oak death or ramorum blight causes leaf spots or scorch-like symptoms.

 

[dave1949]

"Sudden oak death is actually a misnomer," said Jean Williams-Woodward, a plant pathologist with UGA Cooperative Extension. "It isn't sudden, and it doesn't just affect oak trees."
The pathogen, first seen in California in 1995, has been popping up along Georgia waterways. The disease causes dark, bleeding, rust-colored cankers on the tree's trunk. On forest understory plants such as rhododendron, sudden oak death or ramorum blight causes leaf spots or scorch-like symptoms.

Interesting info, and sad that our trees are under assault everywhere it seems.

 

[bironacad]

Interesting info, and sad that our trees are under assault everywhere it seems.

We lost three shade tree Elms last summer, you could see where the branches touch and the bugs crossed to the next tree, most of the Ash in our area is suffering with at least one third gone, my white pines have a bug that has taken several trees along my drive to the point where I will need help just to clean them up. We are suffering from bugs brought in on products made offshore. Some one makes a buck and we lose heritage. Just the way it is. Sorry about the Oak tree.

 

[dave1949]

We lost three shade tree Elms last summer, you could see where the branches touch and the bugs crossed to the next tree, most of the Ash in our area is suffering with at least one third gone, my white pines have a bug that has taken several trees along my drive to the point where I will need help just to clean them up. We are suffering from bugs brought in on products made offshore. Some one makes a buck and we lose heritage. Just the way it is. Sorry about the Oak tree.

Did the emerald ash borer get you ash trees? That is all around us now but hasn't hit - yet. I'm afraid it is just a matter of time, or one load of camp firewood coming in from Mass. that carries the devils to us.

The list of tree pests just keeps on growing. Wooly adelgid on hemlock, asian long-horned beetles attack maples and oaks, white pine beetles, etc.

I have remnants of elm here, trees can get old enough to produce seed but none make it past about 10" diameter before dutch elm gets them. The American beech is full of beech bark disease around here, the American chestnut is long gone and the butternut is very susceptible to butternut canker.

You are right, a lot of those were transported in from around the world. But, that problem is a two-way street you know. Europe and Asia have similar problems with New World plants and insects, we are all losing heritage.

 

[dmccarty]

I have had several oaks die over the recent years that best I can tell were killed by lightning. They were taller trees and just suddenly died. Not sign what so ever on what killed them.

But two Aprils back we had lightning hit an Oak. No doubt about what happened since I was looking out the window when the bolt out of a clear blue sky hit the tree. Bark was blown a good 100 feet from the tree. The tree took a month or two to look dead. Almost over night the leaves went from green to brown. This tree had small strips of bark blown from the tree. Do you see bark at the base of the tree or at a distance?

You local county extension office should be able to help you as well.

Later,
Dan