Native Plants

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Thursday - April 26, 2012

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Diseases and Disorders, Trees
Title: Need help with a fungal disease in oak trees in Austin, TX
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

Two adjacent oak trees in my yard are showing distinct symptoms of Sudden Oak Death. Most notably, the lowest ten feet of their trunks have several bleeding cankers with thick, tarry ooze and no accompanying smell. A quick bit of research online shows that SOD isn't a known issue here in Austin, or really in the central US as a whole. Who should I contact to get a diagnosis, and how do I protect my nearby trees from contracting whatever this is? Thanks for the advice!

ANSWER:

Since SOD is more of a California, Oregon disease, Mr. Smarty Plants is thinking that you may be dealing with Hypoxylon in your oak trees.

Check the pictures in these links to aggie-horticulture and the Texas Forest Service to see if they resemble your trees.

For some expert advice about your oak trees, I suggest that you contact the Travis County Office of the Texas Forest Service, and/or the Travis County Office of Texas Agrilife Extension .

In the mean time, you might want to check out this web site to learn more about oak wilt, and this aggie-horticulture site to learn more about live oak decline.