Large white oak dying? (Eatern US, 8a)
Please, could anyone help us decide what to do with this gorgeous tree on the Western side of our house? After our house was built (Feb’19-Feb’20) we cleared up the tall shrubs and the enormous Wisterias choking up this beautiful white oak, we noticed some foul smelling liquid from the trunk in the spring. We figured it was flux. The tree leafed beautifully despite the apparent trunk damage and besides the left over dying wisteria branches it seems very healthy. We called an arborist, but not sure he knows what’s happening (not criticizing him, it’s just hard). He said the tree may die next year, or have another 10+ years ahead, the flux shouldn’t kill it, but the tree may die anyway from possible root damage from construction. What he recommended is that we plant another oak close to that one as “an insurance policy”, and do injections next spring.
Fast forward to October, while the flux began to improve, we now have fungus growing in the trunk.
I’m at a loss. Should we plant the other oak and ride this one out until it looks dangerous? Or should we remove this one before we plant another?
At this point there’s no hollow sound or dead branches.
That tree is very important to shade the house and the large windows facing west.
Dilemma: If we plant the “insurance tree” next to it, we’d want it big enough to start to catch up in a few years, and as close as possible to the big oak (to cover the sun the way we need once the big one has to be removed). Would planting that new tree disrupt the roots and accelerate the death of the big oak?
I’m doing so much research, and it points to Inonotus and Armillaria, both! Articles say the tree is beyond saving at this point.
What should we do?
Comments (16)
MMS
3 years agoRelated Discussions
The world's Biggest, Oldest Trees are Dying Faster
Comments (36)Beng, While Knuttle seems to have missed the "meaning" (whatever it is) of the picture, the comment about the picture (by itself) not supporting any conclusion is right on target. Let's say that this thread was from someone who's home had just been washed away by a flood. The original poster, in this scenario, came here to tell us about a trend of floods wiping out whole communities. Now, you come along and post a picture of a guy who is forced to live with only 10 ounce of water per day, another guy who is forced to live with only 20 ounces, one with only 40 ounces, and the final with 80 ounces of water per day. I guess you would consider the picture relevant to the conversation? Would you find it somehow "enjoyable"? And finally, would you consider the picture "a scientific fact"? Well this scenario has a lot in common with your posts above. I don't know if you don't fully understand the topic of this thread or meant the picture to be some political cheap-shot, but your picture doesn't add anything of relevance to the topic. In fact, it appears to be an attempt to fool the unsuspecting laymen into believing that there is a direct correlation between carbon dioxide levels and plant health without limits and without caveats. It certainly doesn't take into consideration the numerous other factors involved. Just as people refused (and some still do to this day) to believe that the Earth isn't flat, there are those that seem to want to push the idea that pollution has no consequences. What's really shameful is that many of the large energy companies, with a huge interest in hiding the reality, put out the idea that pollution has no consequences and the foolish buy into the idea wholeheartedly. We are fouling our own bed (as someone wrote above) and the pitiful thing about it is that some among us think it's entertaining or good for us....See MoreAnyone Noticing lots of dying Oak Trees?
Comments (23)Gang - here is my report from the historic area around Marietta Square. We have scads of dying or dead oaks. I know in my neighbor's yard there are 3 huge ones in various states of impending death. The one in the backyard which has mongo limbs that hang over my kids' play area (yikes!) DOES indeed have the tiny holes and sawdust all over the place. My other neighbor has a humongous oak that seems to be dying from some sort of rot from within. The base of the trunk has such a huge void underneath, a small child could hide in it. When you knock on the trunk, it sounds and feels like styrofoam! There is black gunk leaching out from other spots - the big branches split open to allow very weird white blobs of mushroomy things to burst forth and dangle there. Her other VERY large oak leans right over our house. So far, it is healthy, but I worry that the fungal situation could spread through the roots. By the way - thanks to all who responded to my Sick Tree posting. I think the Slime Flux diagnosis is right on. But the whole thing began with Ambrosia Beetles and was followed by fungus. I'm afraid all the trees in the neighborhood are suffering from the same problems. I also know we had a "tree guy" come out a few years back. He was one of those cool, funny, granola guys who was very relaxed, very "connected" to the trees! (A great character.....) He said some profound thing about the great old neighborhoods with the great old trees -- but just like our elderly people, the trees have a life span and it's not always as long as we expect....See MoreArmillaria Fungus/Root rot on large Oak Tree
Comments (6)Thank you for all of the feedback! I have had two certified arborists take a look at the tree, and both said they thought it was Armillaria fungus. I sent some pictures into an agriculture lab at Purdue and they did not 100% confirm it was Armillaria, but they thought it might be as well. I will indeed start to complete some more research on this. The arborist yesterday was tapping the affected root, nearby roots, and the trunk and we heard a number of "hollow" sounding areas. The canopy seems very thin (although I have only lived here for a couple of months, so maybe it has been that way for awhile). I have noticed two branches (2-4 feet in length) fall off the tree since we noticed the rot. The leaves on them looked okay, however I found a handful of small sticks with brown/dry leaves attached in our yard yesterday. It seems like there is definitely some issues with the tree at the top. Trust me, I don't want to take this tree down if I don't have to! It adds so much to the house and would be very costly to remove. I appreciate everyone's comments and will keep digging. Troy...See MoreWhite substance and small holes in Red Oak
Comments (15)no ..... the canopy looks thin ... first pic.. starting about a foot up from the holes ... there is a depression in the bark.. and it continues down toward the ground.. past the shrooms ... i suspect death and bugs under the bark ... hence to bug eaters trying to get at them.. as well as the shrooms furthering the decay ... i have no clue the cause ... i would at a min.. plant a replacement.. so it can get moving.. while you watch this one die.. in tree years ... or just be done with it and plant something new.. IN THE NEXT PROPER PLANTING SEASON ... which is not july or august just about anywhere ... unless done professionally with a warranty ... personally i would not go beyond a 4 to 6 footer .... and i have no clue why such would be in a 200 gallon pot ... ken ps: if you do remove.. could you slice open the bark .. and take some pix.. so we can talk about it all???...See More
davidrt28 (zone 7)
3 years agoMMS
3 years ago
bengz6westmd
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoMMS
3 years agoFoliage looks great. We just had a big storm last night and lots of trees lost branches. This one is looking great. See picture from street level this morning (tree is 8ft down from the st) where we can see the whole canopy. But, on the other hand, a little more fungi are showing up!
Embothrium
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoMMS
3 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
3 years agoMMS
3 years agobengz6westmd
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agokrnuttle
3 years agobengz6westmd
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoBrother's very large white oak infected with terminal oak-wilt taken down in steps w/a "cherry-picker" a few months ago:
Embothrium