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White oak leaf problems #875216

Asked June 29, 2024, 10:53 AM EDT

I’m unsure if my first question went through. This may be a duplicate. Our very very old and large oak has had leaf problems two years now. I thought it was the drought last year, but this year it appears the same. Spring leaves came out beautifully, but now they are 90% spotted and curled, the canopy is thinner, and it seems like we have more dead branches. It we have an insane squirrel population who loves to chew off full branchlets for fun. First picture attached is from a month ago, the second two are today. Any thoughts on outlook for this tree would help. Thank you!

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

It’s possible that at least some of what you are seeing is leaves affected by anthracnose which is a fungus.  With our wetter start to the spring and summer, this is not unusual.  Anthracnose by itself does not typically cause significant damage to the tree.  See the link below and compare with what you are observing.  However, it may be worth contacting an arborist to evaluate the whole tree health and see it in its environment and see if anything else is also contributing to what you’ve seen over the last couple of years.  Sometimes cities have an arborist that can come out to residents homes, or you could consider hiring one.  Here are some links below for further information.  
https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/anthracnose-trees-and-shrubs
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/how-hire-tree-care-professional
Rebecca Replied June 30, 2024, 12:40 PM EDT

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