Scrub oak dying from the tops down - Ask Extension
What is causing the scrub oak in our area to die from the tops down. The bottoms of the trees look healthy, but the leaves on the tops of the trees we...
Knowledgebase
Scrub oak dying from the tops down #870082
Asked May 25, 2024, 4:48 PM EDT
What is causing the scrub oak in our area to die from the tops down. The bottoms of the trees look healthy, but the leaves on the tops of the trees were stunted, then curled up and died. The die-off is wide-spread covering many many acres at both our home and on the way to our cabin. Is there anything that can be done to help the trees, especially those around our home?
Garfield County Colorado
Expert Response
Are you seeing signs of any insects? If not, they might have been hit by frost the other week.
We are seeing a lot of oak that were hit by the recent frost. Oaks leaf out a little later, so their leaves were still pretty tender when we had recent frost(s). If they were affected by the frost and the twigs weren't killed, they should leaf out again.
The tops are more exposed, so may be more susceptible to frost damage. Keep an eye on your trees and contact the Extension office in Garfield if you don't see them leafing out again in the next couple weeks or if you are seeing signs of insects.
