Oak Observations February 2024
Can you help ECOP identify this oak affliction?
We often utilize the oak observations space to share out best management practices, opportunities, and phenological information around Oregon white oak habitats in the East Cascades. This month, we need your help understanding a mysterious oak observation!
During a field visit last November, ECOP staff noticed a strange looking discoloration, possibly a fungus, affecting an oak tree east of the Mt. Hood National Forest. The oak had dropped a limb but did not display the typical splintering of wood we would expect to see. The area surrounding the limb was covered in a mysterious orange rusty material.
We need your help to identify to this unique affliction. The orange color was not present on any of the surrounding trees (as far as we could tell). There was no noticeable smell and no observable traces of insect mosaic. We made this observation in the fall, so the tree was already dropping leaves due to the time of year.
Below is an image of the ejected branch. If you have any ideas about what this might be, or if you have more questions about it, send us a message at oaks@ColumbiaLandTrust.org.
Thank you for contributing your oak observations! We’ll share out what we learn together in next month’s update.