What do your leaves look like?

Any leaves with brown veins? What does this fungal mat smell like?

Janie

Good questions! Not to alarm but is it this?

Here is a link that might be useful: Oak wilt info

I just got to check on your questions. The fungus has no noticable smell. The foilage looks very good. Other local trees (same kind) also have this black stuff but to a much lessor degree. I took better pictures:

bump... please can anyone help my trees?

I have sent this to our Extension Agent. He is quite knowledgable about Oak Trees.

Janie

We lived through Oak wilt years ago in Oak Hill and Dripping Springs
The only oak tree that ever had visible fungi outside was the red oak.
Live oaks, the signs are in the leaves and the fungus travels through the roots
This is just my opinion but I think it's probaly just one of the many, many fungus that grow on just about anything and I cetainly hope that's what the county ext agent says
jolana

The most common presentation of oak wilt in live oaks is foliar stress, not fungal bodies on the trunk.

having said that, oak wilt is not the only thing that can make an oak tree sick or die. I removed a large oak that had some fungal disease that I never identified just because I thought it better safe than sorry and I wanted to stop it before it spread.

Im interested to see what your extension agent says. Id be very surprised if you get any concrete ID or advice. (just becuase I tried many avenues and failed)

Thank you for your help! I would not have thought of contacting the county extension agent. Since the trees otherwise appear healthy, I sure hope that they are ok.
Melissa

Sorry I did not make myself clear.

By inquiring about the leaves, I was wondering about Oak Wilt. Wondering about the smell, I was thinking perhaps this could be something like a 'honey-do' thing like comes from insects like white flies, or what gets on our Crepe Myrtles.

The Red Oak (group) is the only one to have the fungal mat. Red Oaks are the most suseptible to Oak Wilt, and die the fastest.

I would definitely show the trees (best) or the pictures of the trees (next best) to your extension agent. That is what they do.

Janie

Well it kind of looks like the black areas are on top of the
bark and not coming out from fissures or cracks under the
bark (?)so I think you can rule out Oak Wilt...especially if
there are no signs of discoloration on the leaves.

It looks like you have some whitish-grey areas along with
the black patches on the bark so it may be some kind of
crustose lichen (see link below for photo). Lichens form on
trees that are stressed because of environmental factors and
are usually found on trees that have lost an abnormal amount
of leaves or limbs (recent droughts could have caused less
foliage). Lichens won't kill your trees. They come in MANY
different shapes and colors.

...just an alternative guess that might help you do some
further research. Good luck figuring it out.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lichen Growth Forms

This is what I got from our CEA, and he is an Oak Tree Guy.

"This looks like some kind of fungus to me. It does not look like oak wilt. They can probably spray some kind of fungicide on the tree and help alleviate this unsightly fungus. Also, have them watch the tree for other insects that may be attacking the leaves and eating on them."

Hope this nasty stuff goes away soon.

Janie

Thank you very much!
Melissa