Hello!

I'm not sure what other response you're referring to so I can't speak to that, but from what I can see in your photos (and from what I've seen around the county) I suspect that the trees are succumbing, ultimately, to chronic stress.

The particular symptom that you've noticed, with leaves pushing and then withering, can be the result of a freeze that damages the vascular tissue but doesn't totally kill it.  We've had two freezes in the winter of 22-23 and 23-24 that could have caused damage that would have allowed leaves to begin to expand but to not be able to be supported as they grew, resulting in the withering.

Disease is also a possibility, but the healthy new shoots suggest that this is less likely, at least on a broad scale.

Drought in the several years leading up to last year will have pushed many of these plants to the edge of what they can tolerate, too, and because trees essentially accumulate stress over time, they were more vulnerable to other factors.  

I hope this is helpful!

Cordially,

John

Thank you for your reply. I am wondering if there is some kind of disease?  I noticed that the dying bushes (trees) have something o the branches. I will attach a picture. I read that a fungus sometimes kills gambel oak.  I hike around Douglas County nearly every day. Thus just started showing up last summer and is now going at warp speed.   



I definitely understand your concern.

What you're seeing in the photo there are spent oak flowers--nothing to worry about.

We have received multiple calls and have visited several sites in the county over the past two years (one might say that we have investigated!)--and the conclusion is that the larger oak trunks (not the oak individuals themselves, which are still growing from their roots) are succumbing, generally, to accumulated chronic stress.  There is no evidence to support a mass disease outbreak as the cause.

I hope this helps!

Cordially,

John