Because the properties we help manage cover a variety of ecoregions, from the rugged to the pastoral, questions we receive from landowners typically run the wildlife gamut. But in the wake of the February freeze that gripped virtually all of Texas, there has been one universal—and frequent—question: are my trees dead? A question that has stumped even the state’s expert arborists. Shortly after the February 2021 freeze it was assumed most trees would bounce back, but as we inch ever closer to full-blown Texas summer many trees still appear lifeless or showing only minimal signs of life. In stark contrast, barren live oaks may be nestled next to lush, green thriving oaks, a “bizarre phenomenon,” as described by Texas A&M Forest Service, that “has intrigued professionals across the state—especially since oak trees, and particularly live oak trees, are known to be an incredibly resilient species.” If you’re shocked by the current state of your trees, you’re not alone. From the Texas A&M Forest Service’s newsroom update, “Oak Trees Are Still Recovering from the Winter Storm”:
Courtney Blevins has spent almost 40 years with Texas A&M Forest Service, and he can’t recall any past freeze leaving so many oaks looking bare this late into the spring.
“I’ve been telling people my whole career that the single toughest species we have up here is live oak,” said Blevins, a forester out of Fort Worth. “And yet, it’s the live oaks that seem to be most stressed from this freeze. I’m shocked by that.”
Blevins isn’t the only one. Neil Sperry, a Texas gardening and horticulture expert known across the state, has been stunned by the variability, and the scope, of damage left in the wake of that freeze. Followers of his Facebook page have submitted over 2,000 photos of struggling oak trees, including all varieties of species and from every single region of the state.
“I have been in this business professionally since 1970, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Sperry. “We think of oaks as permanent as concrete and steel, and for them to selectively be affected by this freeze is particularly odd.”
So, if misery loves company, the good news is you’re not alone. But what about misery loving answers (if not some hope)? As we approach July, expert opinions are beginning to coalesce. Texas A&M Forest Service has been monitoring the situation and providing helpful (sometimes hopeful) insight. The following summarizes details from their website and social media, but the overriding theme is patience.
Wait at least until July
These trees have already been stressed thanks to a decade of drought so “it’s likely that many of the trees which were late to leaf out will continue to appear splotchy, sickly, or partially bare…that is not unusual in itself, and many trees should be okay if they’re given the opportunity to leaf out normally next spring.”
Most experts are giving July as a benchmark on whether your trees might make it (or not).
- “If by mid-July they have zero leaves on them, that tree’s dead (but) if they have a small, poor showing of leaves, you might wait until next year to make that call. It could improve.”
- “Just wait…These trees are coming back at their own pace. Some of them will be lost. But the important word continues to be ‘wait.’ Don’t start cutting those trees.”
Even if you’re sure the tree is dead…wait
First and foremost, even you are convinced a tree is dead don’t be in a rush to take it down: “That’s one big mistake people are making. They’re in a big hurry to take that thing down, thinking it’s dangerous to leave a dead tree standing, and it’s not.”
- Trees can stand firm for years after they’ve died.
- If you’re eager to plant new trees, that should be done in fall or early winter.
With regard to ash and elm trees
The same message of wait applies to non-oak species but with a couple of additional tips from Texas A&M Forest Service:
- Many of the ash and elm trees that are still bare by July are likely dead from the ground up but there will be regeneration from the roots that can help you have a new tree in a few years. Texas A&M Forest Service suggests allowing the shoots to grow untouched this season then, late into the fall when the trees have lost all of their leaves, select the strongest shoot growing up from the ground and prune the rest back. Next spring you may need to prune away a couple of new sprouts to focus on the selected shoot.
- Once you’re sure it’s not coming back, you can remove the dead tree, just be careful of the new growth and don’t grind the stump. If your ash tree is in an area known to have Emerald Ash Borer, it likely won’t survive without specialized insecticidal treatment. It may be worth considering removal and replacement.
(SOURCE)
The additional stress of caterpillars and leafrollers
Ordinally, Texas A&M Forest Service says, shade trees can handle caterpillars and leafrollers (larvae of certain tortricid moths), without too much trouble but, thanks to the freeze, many of the trees are functioning with few leaves. Leaves are the energy-making component of trees. With less energy to apply toward defense, they are more susceptible to insects and foliage-eating bugs. This has resulted in a boom to the state’s caterpillar population, particularly in Central Texas where they’re eating the foliage faster than the shocked trees can put leaves out. The good (relatively speaking) news is that caterpillar infestations usually do not persist into the Texas summer. Many trees that were defoliated in early spring are now successfully leafing out due to the absence of these pests. To remove these pests now, Texas A&M Forest Service suggests:
- Physically removing the caterpillars from trees, even hand-picking them (with gloves or a tool) from smaller trees.
- Applying a soapy-water spray to the leaves to deter caterpillars.
- For larger trees or large quantities of trees, you could use insecticides, however it is likely too late in the season for these to be effective. If you do, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a recommended option but just know that if the caterpillars are already gone, the insecticide won’t be of much help.
Thank you to Texas A&M Forest Service for the insight. If patience is a virtue, Texas landowners holding out hope and waiting to take any action on their trees until next spring will certainly be among the land’s most virtuous.
Photo, above: Late May 2021 in Central Texas, a live oak (left) struggles to produce leaves in contrast to thriving live oak (right) after the February 2021 freeze in Texas.
