Environment
BY GRACE DICKENS & APRIL KELLEY
Oak wilt infections—one of the most destructive tree diseases—are especially widespread in Central Texas, killing millions of oak trees every year, according to Texas Oak Wilt, a collaborative oak wilt information project by Texas A&M Forest Service and the Forest Health Protection branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The infectious disease is caused by a fungus that invades and disables the water-conducting system in oak trees, according to Texas Oak Wilt. How to detect, prevent oak wilt
Documented cases of oak wilt Williamson County
Once infected, a tree will close its water- transferring xylem tubes in an e ort to cut o the spread of the fungus, said Jonathan Motsinger, the department head of Texas A&M Forest Service. As a result, tree leaves will begin to wilt due to a lack of water and the tree will likely eventually die. Oak wilt can spread above ground through beetles transferring spores from an infected oak tree to one with a wound, which can be created accidentally or intentionally through acts such as pruning. The infection can also spread through roots of infected trees intertwining with uninfected trees underground, Motsinger said. Oak trees have the highest risk of getting oak wilt from February to June, followed by moderate infection risk from July to October and low risk from November to January.
Oak wilt*
195
35
95
130 TOLL
183
79
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*AS OF JAN. 2024
SOURCE: TEXAS OAK WILT COMMUNITY IMPACT
The speci cs
What else?
Some oak trees are more susceptible to oak wilt than others, resulting in fatal consequences for certain varieties. Signs to watch out for can di er by oak variety.
If potential symptoms of oak wilt are noticed, Motsinger said he recommends hiring an arborist certi ed by the International Society of Arboriculture to run a diagnostic test. Prevention is key to decreasing the spread of the disease, Motsinger said. “Anytime that an oak tree is wounded, we recommend painting that wound immediately,” he said. Precautionary steps for homeowners include: • Seeking preventative treatment for oak wilt that will last a few years • Consulting with a certi ied oak wilt arborist to check for symptoms • Covering trimmed trees immediately with a coat of any kind of paint to create a barrier
Red oaks
Live oaks
White oaks
• Most susceptible to oak wilt • May result in wilted pale green or brown leaves in early spring • Can kill a tree in 4-6 weeks and infection should result in immediate removal of the tree • Leaves may turn red in summer
• Intermediate susceptibility to oak wilt • Can result in canopy loss • May die in 3-6 months • Results in yellow, brown or dark green discoloration of leaf veins or browning of leaf edges
• Lower susceptibility to oak wilt • Can result in canopy loss • May die over several years • Discoloration of leaves • Certain varieties can result in spread through root systems
PHOTOS COURTESY TEXAS OAK WILT
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