Is this smooth bark disease on my oak tree?

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vossner East Texas, United States(Zone 8a) Jan 15, 2012

We arrived at our 2nd property only to find the deck just full of fallen bark. See pic

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vossner East Texas, United States(Zone 8a) Jan 15, 2012

this is what the trunk looks like. In fact, two trees are displaying this condition. They are within 1 ft of each other, and I don't doubt the roots of both trees are interconnected. When we were clearing the property, these trees were overridden with vines. The trees improved a little after they were vine-free, but they are generally declining and on windy days we have a lot of broken branches falling.

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vossner East Texas, United States(Zone 8a) Jan 15, 2012

i've never seen anything like it. another bald spot.

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vossner East Texas, United States(Zone 8a) Feb 01, 2012

Since I didn't hear from my fave DG experts, I continued searching for answers. I got a reply from the TX Forestry Service. Outlook is grim and me thinks they'll have to be chopped down. (some tears....)



........ My initial thought is that the trees are dead. Whether killed by drought or disease, I can't tell from the photos. If you really want to be sure, you can wait to see if they leaf back out this spring, but significant bark sloughing is usually a pretty bad sign. You may also try performing a "scratch test" on a small twig. If the wood is limber and green under the surface, the tree may still survive. If the twigs are brittle and dry with no green tissue, the tree is likely dead.

If they were lost to drought last summer, they would likely begin to decay right about now. Sorry to be so grim. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions.

Thanks!

Palestine District Forester
Texas Forest Service
P.O. Box 1068
Palestine, TX 75802

I didn't know of the existence of the TX Forest Service. Have saved the email for my future tree questions.

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killdawabbit Christiana, TN(Zone 6b) Feb 01, 2012

They sure look dead. So sorry. I would probably lay down and die if it happened to mine. My sympathies. Plant new ones ASAP is my suggestion. Oaks grow quickly if they are cared for correctly. And a new Oak is beautiful even when small.

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