Iowa Great Lakes — KIWA has received reports of several oak trees in the Iowa Great Lakes area that appear to be dying.
We talked to Iowa Department of Natural Resources Forest Health Forester, Tivon Feeley, who says that most of the issues with oak trees in the region are caused by a leaf fungus.
He says the disease isn’t fatal to the tree by itself, but the tree’s compromised condition causes it to be a target for other pests, and often the trees do die if the problem isn’t treated.
But in singular trees, Feeley says there are a few treatments that work.
He says in Burr Oak forests, however, it’s not practical or cost-effective to treat all the trees. He says the fungus spreads to other trees through airborne spores.
Feely says there are no preventative measures. He says it’s something that they’ve been watching for a long time, that only recently has become more aggressive in oak trees. He says if you catch it early and treat it with the fungicide, the tree could last for many more years.
For more information about Burr Oak Blight from the Iowa DNR, click here.
