Oak trees are prized among residential homeowners for their aesthetic value and durability. Technically classified as a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus, they are commonly found throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere, including North America.
In fact, there are more species of oak trees in North America than any other region. But even oaks are susceptible to disease, illness and injury.
This is why it’s important for property owners to inspect their oaks on a regular basis, checking for the following signs of a dead or dying specimen.
Yellow Leaves
Have you noticed yellow leaves with greenish-colored veins on your oak tree? Assuming all or most of the leaves are experiencing this discoloration, it could be a sign of malnutrition.
Oak trees need nutrients to thrive, and when they don’t get enough of these nutrients, it may lead to yellow leaves with greenish veins.
Have your soil tested to ensure it’s adequate for your respective trees and plants.
Foliage Loss
Oak trees are bound to lose at least some of their foliage, especially when the cool fall and winter weather arrives.
But if you discover significant patches of open, missing foliage, it could be a sign of Diplodia canker, which is a fungal twig and branch disease that affects certain species of oaks.
Decaying Bark
Another sign that your oak tree is dying is the presence of decaying bark. Granted, this isn’t limited strictly to oaks; many species of trees experience this problem.
If you discover the outer bark on your oak is decaying and falling off, it’s usually indicative of a more serious underlying problem – and it may result in the tree’s death.
Powdery Mildew
We can’t talk about common health problems faced by oak trees without mentioning powdery mildew. Most common along the coast, this condition is characterized by the presence of white, powder-like mildew on leaves.
Powdery mildew typically begins on new, young leaves, causing them to die and fall off. If left untreated, it will spread throughout the canopy, causing it to weaken.
Rotted Roots
Oak root rot is fairly common among oak trees. It’s actual two different diseases – fungi and water mold – with the combination of both being referred to as oak root rot.
This condition is particularly common in California, where the humidity and temperature is ideal for fungi and water mold.
Normally, excessive water leads to oak root rot, so use caution to avoid over-watering the oaks in your landscape.
The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.
If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or
This is some great information, and I appreciate your point that watering too much can lead to rotted roots in oak trees. We’ve had a lot of rain in my area recently, and my oak tree isn’t looking very healthy. I’ll definitely look into having a professional come to see if the roots are rotted and the tree needs to be removed. Thanks for the great post!
Great info here! So many memories you may have with a tree, keeping that tree alive is like keeping those memories alive.
My oak tree is about 120 circumference and very tall. There is a large hole at base of tree and tree is rotting inside of tree. Outside looks normal. This has been going on for several years. At what point should the tree be removed. It is hanging over my house.
You should have a tree care professional come out and look at it. If you are in our service area, Williamson County, Texas give us a call or text us at 512-940-0799 and we’ll be glad to come out and provide you with our assessment.
I’m in central Florida and my oak has 2 ft. X 18 ” area at base that is decayed. Its approx. 6″ deep and very dark in color. It looks to me as if it was burned at some time. Leaves look fine but because it’s so close (18″) to my driveway I’m concerned it may fall on my car. Any clues ?
Hi Jess. Thanks for reading and your comment.
It would be very difficult to diagnose your issue without being there. I would encourage you to contact a reputable local tree care company and have them come out and advise you.
My oak tree has green fungus & what appears to be webs of some kind. Is my tree at risk of dying?
Hi Carol, I recommend you contact a local tree care company and have them come out to take a look. If you’re in our service area, Williamson County, Texas, our phone number is 512-940-0799. You can call or text.
My Laurel Oak is about 65 to 70 years old. Half of the tree is dead and the other side looks ok. Does it need to be cut down.? We have had 2 arborists come out. One says to try to save it and the other says to cut it down.
Hi Cheryl. We would need to see the tree before we could provide you with an answer to this. If you are in our service area, Williamson County, Texas, then give us a call. We’ll be glad to come out and take a look.
I have grown an oak tree in a planter from an acorn which is several years old and about 6 to 7 feet tall.
The leaves are turning brown and on some of the leaves it looks like a bug is eating the leaves. I do not see any bugs although I did see one or two ants. Can you tell me what the problem is.
Hi Lisa. We would not be able to tell what the problem is without seeing the tree itself. If it’s in a planter the tree may be root-bound, which means there’s no more room for roots to grow in the planter, which is affecting the way the tree looks and how much water it can absorb.
I have one additional question, if I transplant the tree will it still survive and regrow it’s leaves if not this year then next Spring.
Yes it’s in a big planter & if I had more space for this tree I would have transplanted it a while ago. This is the second oak tree that is now dying. I thought possibly that it got too much water but we did notice the roots were expanding from the bottom. Next time I’ll know better. Thank you very much for responding, I truly appreciate your expertise.
Our oak is huge..about 100 ft tall. Its two trees that grew together over the years. The bark on the trunk – and now some limbs, have bark coming away from the trunk, turning out and up towards the sky. There are large black ants in it. The Jacksonville, FL JEA employee came to look at it and told me since there is a canopy with lots of healthy leaves on it, it dznt need to be cut down. I’m worried the trunk is hollow and over the past 4-5 yrs many oak trees have been falling over on homes, etc killing people. Why is the bark turning away from the trunk and upward towards? Help I’m terrified it’s dangerous. It can easily fall on at least 4 homes including ours. No one agrees with me. Thank you for any response.
Hi Barbara. Thanks for your question. Here’s a response for you from our in-house Arborist, Roy.
“First if you are the homeowner and therefore liable for the tree in question and there appears to be risk via visual assessment and history of trees “falling” then I would really consider removing the potential hazard (the tree in question) …if the bark is split and ants are present than wood-boring insects could be in the tree and hollowing out certain sections. Trees that have at least 75% of their canopy intact & a relatively healthy green foliage have a chance of being restored with treatments. Contact a certified Arborist in your area and let him or her walk through the steps and give you a diagnosis. From there make a decision…again, if said tree is on your property then you are liable.”
I have a fairly young oak tree that was perfectly green and healthy one day, and all brown leaves the next. I see no evidence if insects, but some twigs have hard round balls on them. Although there are a few green leaves the majority of the tree is brown and leaves are falling off.
Hi Sue. Thanks for reading. I spoke to our in-house Arborist and he says the following: It could be a combination of issues…one being summer stress or drought effects. Another possibility is gall mites or gall wasps (round balls). Look into both and compare the images with your tree. Consider watering deeper if no adequate rainfall has been present in your area and contact local Arborist or county extension agent for evaluation if your concern is not addressed to your satisfaction.
I live Lufkin Tx I got a red oak in front house it has lost 80 percent of it leaves in four days and all other leaves have turn brown what do I need to do,
Hi George. Thanks for reading. You should contact a local arborist or tree care company and have them come out and take a look at your tree. They should be able to asses your situation and provide a solution.
Hi I have lived in my house since 1969, so Oak tree is old and really big . It was here when I got here. This year there were hardly any acorns. The tree dropped tiny seeds that made the patio dirty and messy on patio furniture. Is it dying.
Hi Hannah. Thanks for reading. I spoke to our in-house Arborist, Roy. He said that unless the tree is dropping its leaves by 50% and showing large deadwood in the upper canopy he wouldn’t say its dying but there’s not enough info or pictures to give a more accurate opinion. He suggests contacting an arborist or County Extension agent near you for observation.
What type of oak tree is in the picture under the blog post “5 signs that your oak tree is dying”?
Hi Karen. Thanks for reading. That is a stock photo and we’re not sure the exact kind of tree it is. It looks like a red oak but the bark is not correct so it may or may not be an oak tree.
Hello! This is some great information. We have two young red oak trees in our backyard, and they are already losing their leaves for the season… they are yellow with brown tips – dry like they’ve been burned. Do you have anyone in the Houston, TX area that you would recommend to come and take e a look for us? We had someone out earlier this season, but we are pretty sure they scammed us. Our trees look worse now after they’ve done some “treating”.
Thanks!
Kim
Hi Kim. Thanks for reading. We do not have anyone to refer you to in Houston. However, you can search for an ISA Certified Arborist in your area by visiting the Trees are Good website and searching in your area.
I planted a Live Oak tree last April and it has done really well over the summer. It’s now late November. I put compost around the tree with more mulch and after a week most of the leaves have turned brown and filled off. Everything appears alright but it has me worried. We did also experience a pretty good cold snap a few weeks ago as well
Hi John. Thanks for reading. I expect that the cold snap is the reason your tree has lost its leaves. However, if you are in our service area, Williamson County, Texas, give us a call and we’ll be glad to come out and take a look and assess the situation.
i have a laurel oak tree, about 50 years old, has 70-80% of the leaves intact.
looks good. can you tell me the condition?
is trimming recommended?
plz reply asap.
Hi Zahid. Thanks for your question. There is really no way for us to tell you the condition of your tree without seeing it ourselves. If you are in our service area, Williamson County, Texas, give us a call and we’ll schedule a visit to see your tree. If you’re not in our area you should contact a local arborist or tree service to take a look.
my large white oak tree has leaves with color but full 1/2 size and seem to be dry and curling some??
Tom
Hi Tom. Thanks for reading. If you are in our service area, Williamson County, Texas, just give us a call and we’ll come out and take a look at your tree. If you are not in our area I recommend you contact a local arborist.
I rent in Missouri and the oak tree was here before us. Usually the tree has plenty of leaves and shading my whole yard by now. However, this year the tree looks like it’s got about half the leaves than normal and I notice leaves are falling off. The Leaves are green but branches are kind of bare. There are a few gray spots on the bark of the trunk as well. We did have a couple of freezes this year after spring started. Could this be the reason will it go back to normal or do I need to contact my Landlord and have him look into it.
Hi Jacqueline. Thanks for reading. There’s really no way for us to evaluate the situation you are in at the moment regarding your tree. I would recommend that you, or your landlord, contact a local arborist or tree care company and have them come out and take a look at your tree and its condition.
We recently had a young oak tree planted in the front yard last fall. We noticed this year that right after the leaves came out during the spring, they are now turning yellow but not falling off and also a large piece of the bark at the bottom of the tree is detached and peeling off but has not falling off. Is it dying is there something I need to do? Is there something I need to do. Very concerned.
Thank you.
Hi Rosa. Thanks for reading. I would recommend that you contact a local tree care company in your area and have them come take a look at your tree. They will be able to tell you what’s going on when they see it better than we can online.
I have a 70+ ft oak in the back yard 2.5-3 ft from a small-medium creek and most of it is dead. We’re concerned it may fall towards the house. Any help is appreciated
Ps…I’m in NJ
Hi Christopher. Thanks for reading. With a tree that size that is mostly dead, I would stongle recommend you contact a local tree care company and have them come out and take a look. It may need to be completely removed for your safety and that of your family.
My oak tree in Kentucky has yellow brances. What casuses this.
Hi Dee. Thanks for reading. You should contact a local arborist or tree care company to take a look at your tree to see what may be causing the yellow branches.
I had no idea that your oak tree may be suffering from a Diplodia canker if your tree begins losing excessive amounts of foliage. My wife and I have recently noticed that a small pile of leaves has started to accumulate around the base of our oak tree, and we’d like to remove the tree in case it falls during an incoming storm. Hopefully, there is a professional that will get the job done right.
Hello, im from another country. My Oak is Very Very sick. Can you Help me? I don’t know what to do, and people here don’t know nothing about this tree.
I have lived on a large dry creek in San Antonio, Texas for over 30 years. There are numerous heritage live oaks growing along the banks of the creek. Around the live oaks Ligustrums grow all along the banks of the creek. The Ligustrums have been there for the 50 years I have been knowledgeable about the creek. The Ligustrums do not seem to have ever damaged the oaks. However a friend ask me recently if I should remove the Ligustrums. My response was that unless all the stumps were removed the Ligustrums would simply come right back. And I am afraid that all the traffic and soil disturbance would eventually do more damage to the oaks than any damage previously done by the Ligustrums. I would like your opinion on this situation.
My large oak just went through the hard freeze we had in February. It now looks terrible and leaves are raining. It looks like it is dying. It is 40 years old. Is there anything I can do to help it?
We have two large oak trees that are dying, not from the freeze. We just noticed the base of the trees are a real light gray compared to the good trees around it and also the good limbs on the tree are also darker. Help
What do you do for Diplodia canker?
I lost 2 huge live oaks to Hurricane Harvey. Since then we have had much more than normal rain and an extraordinary freeze. Now I notice a very large patch of bark at the base of one of my oaks that is just hanging on and giving shelter to roaches etc. There is no new bark underneath and a few insect holes. The canopy looks fine. It would be sad to lose another tree!
I have a very tall large older oak tree in my California backyard, 50+years old. I have noticed as of late that all of the leaves have turned yellowish brown and dried out looking. Has this tree died? Do I need to trim it or remove it? I haven’t noticed any bark issues or anything else out of the ordinary just the leaves.
Laurel oak leaves have been falling constantly for about 6 months. All that fall have black spots. Any idea what is probably
I have a young pin oak (2 yrs old), affected now with buds that never bloomed in the spring on many of the branches. I live in NE Ohio and we’ve had bizarre snow falls mixed in with heavy rains and hot days and cold nights. What can be done and could be wrong?
How do you know what company to call to look at your dying tree?