Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Wednesday - July 31, 2013
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Diseases and Disorders, Trees
Title: Problems with red oak from Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I planted 3 Texas Red Oaks several years ago. The trees are in a tight cluster just a few feet apart. At the end of last summer, one of them began to develop brown spots and yellowed leaves. This summer, that tree looks very diseased, and the next tree has a couple branches that look similar. The third tree seems to be largely unaffected. Could this be oak wilt? What should I do about this? Thanks for your help.ANSWER:
There are several oaks with the common name "red oak" but Quercus buckleyi (Texas red oak) is shown on this USDA Plant Profile Map as growing naturally in Travis County.
Here is a recent Mr. Smarty Plants answer from North Central Texas which pretty much answers your questions about red oak problems. Please follow all the links in that answer for more information.
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