White oak vs red oak.

[Woody Stover]

About 4 years ago oak wilt really became noticeable here. The progression here was west to east, so western WI had 50% oaks dead 10yrs ago (total red and white). 5yrs ago saw the first white oaks die here. Now, there are a dozen dead on 20ac. All white. Plus all the red oaks from before. Seems they show signs a decade before according to the last 10 tiny rings left behind. Look for many tiny water sprouts, dead branch tips, leaves that just never seem glossy green and healthy, then shrooms on the trunk. If you don't see it now in southern Indiana, chances are you will shortly.

I havent noticed a widespread white oak disease here but the red oaks have really been hit hard here. I have tons of standing dead that i will sadly never get to. Im not sure what it is but from judging pictures from what i can make of it the disease is called hypoxylon canker. It literally has killed tons of mature red oaks in this part of country.

Yep, Reds getting slaughtered in our part of the country. I'll have to ask my brother what he's seeing in WI. He has some land out near the Mississippi in western WI, and resides northwest of Milw. He may also be seeing the progression that you've observed, Sawset.

 

[Ashful]

Yep, Reds getting slaughtered in our part of the country. I'll have to ask my brother what he's seeing in WI. He has some land out near the Mississippi in western WI, and resides northwest of Milw. He may also be seeing the progression that you've observed, Sawset.

Around here the big whites (not a reference to the Haitian revolution) also seem to rot up the center from the ground, I’ve taken down or cleaned up several very large ones in that condition. You’ve probably seen the photo of some 48” - 49” oak rounds that I’ve posted several times, and they came from a white oak that was rotten from the ground up to a height of 15 feet, where it was broken off by hurricane Sandy. When I cut the stump about 18 inches above the ground, it was 60 inches in diameter, but only had a shell about a foot thick of solid wood all around, the middle 3 feet was mostly hollow.



If I recall, this was another white oak:



... and this one:



I can’t remember if this one from last winter is white or red:

 

[weatherguy]

Around here the big whites (not a reference to the Haitian revolution) also seem to rot up the center from the ground, I’ve taken down or cleaned up several very large ones in that condition. You’ve probably seen the photo of some 48” - 49” oak rounds that I’ve posted several times, and they came from a white oak that was rotten from the ground up to a height of 15 feet, where it was broken off by hurricane Sandy. When I cut the stump about 18 inches above the ground, it was 60 inches in diameter, but only had a shell about a foot thick of solid wood all around, the middle 3 feet was mostly hollow.

View attachment 251818

If I recall, this was another white oak:

View attachment 251815

... and this one:

View attachment 251817

I can’t remember if this one from last winter is white or red:

View attachment 251816

Holy smokes that's a big tree, nice firewood.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

It's personal preference and what's available. Seasoned red oak makes much better kindling. And makes for more active fires. I like 60% of my wood to be red oak, but like everyone else I burn what I can get.

 

[paredown]

Around here, we're getting some kind of fungus that stunts the root growth on the red oaks--I lost a cluster in Hurricane Sandy, and my neighbor came over to look at the roots, and they had problems.

Not so many whites around here--I'm still feeling sad about the big fella we took down that was starting to crack the house foundation...

There's some good pictures here of the grain structure and leaves:

Distinguishing Red and White Oak | The Wood Database

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