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Red oak risk of snapping from hollowed trunk, unidentifiable succulent #930034

Asked April 29, 2026, 1:09 PM EDT

You can go through the website highlighted below to reach our Master Gardeners email. They will be able to guide you to resources. Our Extension Master Gardener Website is: https://extension.umn.edu/master-gardener/ask-master-gardener Scroll down and the email form will be in the center of the website page. You can upload your photos there also On Wed, Apr 22, 2026 at 5:10 PM Susie Osaki Holm <osaki.holm> wrote: Hello, We have a red oak that snapped and then crashed into our garage roof last Fall. Big mess. The bottom 3 ½ - 4 feet was hollow. I had a certified arborist come out and he thought all the other red oak trees were okay. But what caused the hollowed bottom of the tree that fell from the wind/rain storm? He had mentioned oak wilt & burl oak blight. Could whatever affected the tree that is standing next to the felled tree get infected? I’ve been worried because the base of the tree that snapped & fell is connected to the tree next to it. The tree that fell looked fine & healthy so it was a shock that it snapped. My husband does not want to cut down the tree. I don’t either, but I get nervous during wind/rain storms that the other tree will snap and crash through the house roof. Here are the trees around our rambler single story house. The first photos are on the east side of our house. The last two photos are the back south-side of our house. IMG_2098.HEIC.jpeg IMG_2099.HEIC.jpeg IMG_2100.HEIC.jpeg Back wooded area, house facing south IMG_2101.HEIC.jpeg IMG_2103.HEIC.jpeg IMG_2104.HEIC.jpeg Another question: The App Seek could not identify this succulent. Dicot first popped up, but then stated it could not identify. The stems are drooping over, like it should be a hanging plant. The friend who gave it to me said it should be planted outside. But I did not want to risk it freezing. If it could survive winter, the branches would spread out on the ground. Advice? IMG_1126.jpeg PastedGraphic-1.tiff You only allow 3 images, so i was not able to include all as i did in the email i sent to <personal data hidden> Thank you so much for your advice! Sincerely, Susie St. Cloud</osaki.holm>

Stearns County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thanks for the question. So sorry for the loss of that large oak tree and the damage to your garage! That trunk that failed has extensive rotting in the center. Usually, there will be some indication of the rot, though often times only to the trained eye of a professional. This tree has been rotting away for many years. 

I cannot tell for certainty but it is likely that the rest of the trunks are solid and healthy. Oak wilt does kill red oak trees quickly so they are typically not hollow. I don't suspect oak wilt killed this tree nor caused this rot. If the tree died suddenly last year, then it could have been from oak wilt. If that is the case, the oak wilt will spread to the other trees through root grafts. Watch for signs of oak wilt in the other trees. If red oaks get infected, they will die within one season. Here is a link to much more information on oak wilt: https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/oak-wilt-minnesota

Paul - Tree Care Advisor volunteer

An Ask Extension Expert Replied April 29, 2026, 4:19 PM EDT

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