07/28/2026
Have you checked your oak trees recently? 👀 Now is a great time to look for signs of oak wilt, a non-native fungus that affects both red and white oaks. Symptoms are more noticeable in red oaks, however, which can die in as little as six weeks after infection.
🍂 Signs of oak wilt are most obvious in July and August.
🍂 Infected red oaks will drop more than half of their leaves, and leaves may begin to turn brown from the outside edge moving inward.
🍂 While it is normal for oaks to change color and drop their leaves in fall, when observed during summer, these could be signs of oak wilt.
Oak wilt was recently reported by a homeowner in Greece, NY (Monroe County). DEC staff responded and are working to contain the spread. Our Forest Health staff inject the infected tree with herbicide to prevent oak wilt from spreading to surrounding trees, enter data about the infected tree, and train new staff on procedures.
Check the comments below to learn more about identifying and reporting oak wilt.
