It looks like at some time a limb was cut off, or more like tore off in a storm or accident, too close to the trunk and a fungus got in the wound. I say it tore or was ripped off because of the trough at the bottom where the black is, like the limb broke and tore some more bark off underneath it.

Then again, it does look like a burn from a lightning strike. The good news is that oaks take 30 years to die after being struck by lightning.

Wow! How close is that to your house?

Wow did it hit your house, that"s scary! So did he say if your tree will live or does it have to be cut down?

Looks like it has healed up nicely. Some seepage from the wound isn't too much of a concern unless it gets worse.

Could be a little 'slime flux disease' got started in there but it doesn't look too bad really and most of the time, doesn't do much harm to the tree.

If it was in a crotch, where two large trunks intersect, it may be more of a concern, it could possibly weaken the tree there and cause a 'split'.

Good info everyone, thanks! How close to my house is that oak trunk? Uh... 3 car lengths? The near-horizontal long branches don't reach the house. I have other oaks that are closer and have to be "lifted" from the roof (1 story) every couple of years. The oaks I would most hate to lose are the ones that extend over the roadway, making a canopy with a neighbor's huge live oak. If we lost that canopy, we might both consider moving!

When I've had trees his by lightning, they show signs of death immediately. Mostly they have been pines. I had one apple tree that lightning blew into pieces. Nothing left but charred sticks. I hope your tree hangs on. Oaks are my favorites.

Tree trimmers came today and did great work thinning, lower, and removing what needed to go from my yard. I was encouraged when I showed the crew chief the live oak with the black "lightning exit wound'. He said that live oaks store energy so well that it can take a very long time for them to die (and then they can suddenly finally collapse) and that meanwhile cables can be erected up above through the nearby live oaks to keep it stable. He said to keep an eye out for the roots rising above the ground.

I cannot initiate a thread in any gardening forum. As of now, Nov 9, Florida Gardening forum has had no new thread since Oct 26. Perhaps nobody can initiate a thread? Please comment.

Four. I just tried it and had no trouble posting. https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5821392/testing-testing

Thank you very much for that.

My browsers do not display anything that one would use to do the same.

four, Good luck!

Is there no box at the top which says 'start a discussion'?

Yes, it opens a form headed by " Hi four (9b near 9a), what are you working on? Get help for your projects, share your finds, and show off your Before & After." I certainly did not interpret THAT to mean : "submit a question to the Florida Gardening forum."

I get that message too. I just ignore it and type into the box below that actually says 'start a discussion.'

Good help.

i wonder if you have an adblocker.. that is blocking the picture in which the start a discussion box is ... if you run such.. try turning it off .. and reload the page ... and see if the usual box shows up ... then all you might have to do.. is figure out how to unblock the banner ...

ken

Thanks Ken. Floral figured it out; read the previous several comments.