management of wooded lot with predominate beech and white oak - Ask Extension
Hi, my home is on a 2 acre lot that is fairly heavily wooded. There is an acre that is basically 'woods,' but the predominant species is beech. I al...
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management of wooded lot with predominate beech and white oak #924981
Asked February 24, 2026, 10:39 AM EST
Hi, my home is on a 2 acre lot that is fairly heavily wooded. There is an acre that is basically 'woods,' but the predominant species is beech. I also have a lot of ash seedlings popping up everywhere, so I assume there were a lot of ash up until 10 years ago. My front yard is predominately white oak. With beech disease and the die off of white oak, I'm wondering my best course of action. I have made an application to tree Montgomery to add diversity. Can you give guidance on which trees would be best? Also, since the 'woods' part isn't as dense as it once was, could I possibly get new shade trees there, or would they not flourish since there is little light that penetrates the canopy. I am trying to be proactive before it is a bigger problem.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Extension's Woodland Stewardship Education program may have resources helpful to you in terms of what steps to prioritize and how to increase forest diversity, but tree choice may depend (in part) on soil characteristics more than light level, as native trees often germinate in an understory setting where they initially receive less light than would be ideal. A laboratory soil test can measure basic nutrient levels, acidity (pH), and organic matter content; within those parameters, pH may be the most influential factor for tree choice, as some species do best in acidic soils while others tolerate near-neutral or basic soils. (Some species are very adaptable, so pH won't matter as much.) How wet or dry the soil tends to be will also impact species selection, as some have more tolerance for drought or upland conditions and others prefer to be closer to consistent sources of moisture (a valley, stream, etc.)
Common canopy trees in central Maryland (in addition to the beech and oak you already have) woodlands include hickory, walnut, elm, tulip poplar, sycamore, and sweetgum, with the latter tree being more abundant in damp sites. Sassafras, hophornbeam, American holly, and American hornbeam are mid-sized trees that often colonize the forest edge or clearings or open woodlands with more sunlight, and typical understory or edge species include dogwood, redbud, blackhaw viburnum, and pawpaw. Maryland is home to nearly two dozen species of oaks (all but one of them native), so there are other candidates aside from White Oak (Quercus alba) that can be added, since oaks as a group have very high wildlife value. There is no one disease or pest that is killing oaks, but rather a confluence of stress factors like years of drought, excessive rain (2018-19), pollution, heat waves, and other aspects of climate change and urban/suburban stresses. Wooded areas are at least buffered somewhat from several of those stressors compared to street trees and those growing in yards closer to paved areas, though a region-wide overpopulation of deer is hard on an array of saplings. Unless deer are excluded with fencing from the entire area, protect any new tree plantings with trunk guards or wire cages to shield foliage from being eaten. (The trunk protection is more vital when bucks rub antlers on young trees in autumn.)
One program that might reduce costs if the statewide Marylanders Plant Trees program of the DNR. It provides rebates towards the purchase price of native trees; (see the web page for a species list and more info. (as the material needs to be bought from a participating nursery).
Miri
Common canopy trees in central Maryland (in addition to the beech and oak you already have) woodlands include hickory, walnut, elm, tulip poplar, sycamore, and sweetgum, with the latter tree being more abundant in damp sites. Sassafras, hophornbeam, American holly, and American hornbeam are mid-sized trees that often colonize the forest edge or clearings or open woodlands with more sunlight, and typical understory or edge species include dogwood, redbud, blackhaw viburnum, and pawpaw. Maryland is home to nearly two dozen species of oaks (all but one of them native), so there are other candidates aside from White Oak (Quercus alba) that can be added, since oaks as a group have very high wildlife value. There is no one disease or pest that is killing oaks, but rather a confluence of stress factors like years of drought, excessive rain (2018-19), pollution, heat waves, and other aspects of climate change and urban/suburban stresses. Wooded areas are at least buffered somewhat from several of those stressors compared to street trees and those growing in yards closer to paved areas, though a region-wide overpopulation of deer is hard on an array of saplings. Unless deer are excluded with fencing from the entire area, protect any new tree plantings with trunk guards or wire cages to shield foliage from being eaten. (The trunk protection is more vital when bucks rub antlers on young trees in autumn.)
One program that might reduce costs if the statewide Marylanders Plant Trees program of the DNR. It provides rebates towards the purchase price of native trees; (see the web page for a species list and more info. (as the material needs to be bought from a participating nursery).
Miri
