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.

 

[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