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Another sickly water oak

Posted on 4/27/24 at 10:31 am
Posted by GCTigahs
Member since Oct 2014
2042 posts
Posted on 4/27/24 at 10:31 am
My neighbor behind me to my east has a dual trunk water oak that’s shedding leaves right now like it’s fall. We’ve been here since 08 and have never seen it do this.

A little back story…we put in a pool and pool house the last couple yrs. We had to remove a live oak for our project. The arborist looked at the neighbor’s water oak and didn’t give it a clean bill of health. The neighbor is an older, divorced lady and has a pool as well. So I offered to pay for the tree removal and they were going to take it from my side of the fence. They’d only need to go in her yard to grind the stump. She declined due to the afternoon shade it provides her. I have a feeling that decision is going to come back and bite us both in the butt.

Any idea what’s going on with the tree? The leaves look like some kind of fungus to me.




Posted by wickowick
Head of Island
Member since Dec 2006
45820 posts
Posted on 4/27/24 at 10:44 am to
All I know is that thing is rotting from the inside out.
Posted by weadjust
Member since Aug 2012
15149 posts
Posted on 4/27/24 at 10:55 am to
quote:

we put in a pool and pool house the last couple yrs.


Digging to install the pool probably messed up the tree root system. I had a similar situation w an oak when some sewer/septic system work was done. My oak dropped leaves early & looked bad for 3-4 years and then recovered. Now its back to normal & looks good.
Posted by LegendInMyMind
Member since Apr 2019
54729 posts
Posted on 4/27/24 at 11:44 am to
Looks like a blister fungus of some kind, maybe oak leaf blister. The stress from digging could have made it more susceptible. This fungus is not what is going to kill that tree, though. It isn't systemic and only happens under the right conditions. It is early, so it could leaf out again in the coming weeks.
This post was edited on 4/27/24 at 11:45 am
Posted by diat150
Louisiana
Member since Jun 2005
43643 posts
Posted on 4/27/24 at 12:31 pm to
Definitely would be worried about it snapping in half during strong winds. Weird growth on that tree very tall but a thin trunk.
Posted by JAMAC2001
Member since Jan 2013
2764 posts
Posted on 4/27/24 at 7:07 pm to
Odd question, but anyone have recommendations on someone who can build a fountain like that for my pool. I want to replace a diving board.
Posted by gizmothepug
Louisiana
Member since Apr 2015
6580 posts
Posted on 4/27/24 at 8:24 pm to
quote:

The arborist looked at the neighbor’s water oak and didn’t give it a clean bill of health.


Most that are 40+ years old aren’t. They grow for 40 to maybe 50 years and slowly die from the inside. In SE Louisiana they are right there with Pine trees that shouldn’t be within an area that could potentially hit a house.
Posted by ItzMe1972
Member since Dec 2013
9822 posts
Posted on 4/28/24 at 9:42 am to
The tree looks fine to me.

I understand your position, but also understand the lady wanting to maintain her shade.
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