My oak tree leaves are going brown - Ask Extension
My oak tree leaves are getting brown before all other trees. We had two oak trees last year dying. Is there anything we can do?
Knowledgebase
My oak tree leaves are going brown #809384
Asked September 04, 2022, 9:30 AM EDT
My oak tree leaves are getting brown before all other trees. We had two oak trees last year dying. Is there anything we can do?
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
We recommend you work with a certified arborist to assess the trees in person. If this is a red oak (either that particular species, Quercus rubra, or an oak species in what is called the red oak group), the tree may have contracted the disease Bacterial Leaf Scorch. You can visit the linked page for more information, but it is not curable, though treatments with antibiotic injections from an arborist might relieve symptoms to some degree.
A wide array of other factors can cause the decline of mature trees, including oaks, and several are addressed in the linked pages below. An arborist can help to identify causes of damage or chronic tree stress, though they can't necessarily intervene to mitigate any dieback they have caused. Often, any serious pest or disease present arrived after the tree was already experiencing stress from environmental conditions, even if symptoms weren't yet apparent, and these infections/infestations aren't always treatable.
If the tree's prognosis is poor, that doesn't preclude you from being able to replant other oaks (or any other native canopy tree species) that are suitable to those site conditions. This is partly because young, vigorous trees won't be vulnerable to the same opportunistic pests or pathogens. In fact, we encourage tree succession planting (installing young trees who will eventually take over the canopy as the older trees die out) and/or tree replacement after removal in order to help preserve habitat and provide cooling for the yard/house and other environmental benefits.
Miri
A wide array of other factors can cause the decline of mature trees, including oaks, and several are addressed in the linked pages below. An arborist can help to identify causes of damage or chronic tree stress, though they can't necessarily intervene to mitigate any dieback they have caused. Often, any serious pest or disease present arrived after the tree was already experiencing stress from environmental conditions, even if symptoms weren't yet apparent, and these infections/infestations aren't always treatable.
If the tree's prognosis is poor, that doesn't preclude you from being able to replant other oaks (or any other native canopy tree species) that are suitable to those site conditions. This is partly because young, vigorous trees won't be vulnerable to the same opportunistic pests or pathogens. In fact, we encourage tree succession planting (installing young trees who will eventually take over the canopy as the older trees die out) and/or tree replacement after removal in order to help preserve habitat and provide cooling for the yard/house and other environmental benefits.
- What Causes Trees and Shrubs to Die?
- Why Oak Trees are Declining or Dying
- Browning and Defoliation of White Oaks
Miri
