Oak Wilt in Gillespie County

What to Know About Oak Wilt

The Texas Hill Country is one of the most beautiful areas of Texas. Rolling hills and rocky outcroppings create interesting and often arresting views. A wide variety of scrubby bushes and sculptured trees dot the varied terrain and spring fed creeks sneak down limestone beds to the Pedernales and other rivers.

Fredericksburg Texas and the surrounding Hill Country area residents appreciate these unique characteristics of the ‘Heart of the Hill Country’. However, there is one important facet that real estate in this area shares with a great number Texas counties, and that is the presence of Oak Wilt.

Oak wilt is an infectious disease caused by the fungus Ceratycystis fagacearum. This fungus attacks the distribution of water throughout the branches by destroying the veins. All oaks are susceptible to oak wilt but not to the same degree. Red oaks such as the Spanish oak, Blackjack oak and Shumard oak are particularly susceptible. White oaks such as the Bur oak, Chinkapin oak and Post oak are resistant to the fungus and seldom die from it.

Many Live oaks will lose their leaves and die between 1 to 6 months after infection. Some Live oaks in oak wilt infected tree clusters escape infection or are resistant and survive.

Successful control of the spread of live oak wilt depends on the willingness of the landowner to take an active role in management of the property. There are three primary approaches. The best outcome usually depends on a combination of all three. The first step involves the removal of all diseased red oaks, handling firewood properly and painting wounds on healthy oaks. The second step would be to trench between healthy and distressed trees to eliminate connections through root systems. The final step involves the use of injections into individual, high-value trees. Taking these steps does not wholly insure against the loss of trees, but can significantly reduce the number of trees which succumb to the disease.

Click http://www.texasoakwilt.org/ for more information

Come to the Texas Hill Country and see for yourself how beautiful it is. Fredericksburg Texas is a special place not to be diminished by the loss of a few trees.