I have 2 oak trees in my front yard. I have been told they are black oaks and also pin oaks. Anyways both trees have black bands around them. My house was built in 1955 and I think the trees are probably that old. There is a row of trees down the street in the front yards, some have cut them down but a lot still remain, thus my thinking they are probably as old as the neighborhood. My first question is about the black bands around them, and my second is one of the trees is very sparse on one side and they have been dropping leaves for a while now. However there is still green leaves on the trees. Does this indicate disease of some sort?

Greetings Juanita,

I'm not too sure about this mysterious black band; can you send me several high quality digital photos for examination?

Secondly, we have been witnessing some premature leaf drop across the state this summer and early fall. More than likely, this phenomenon is the direct result of summer drought confounded by harsh urban growing conditions. Yard trees, especially in urban environments, require adequate water uptake for sustained growth and vigor. Make sure your yard trees receive proper watering during periods of prolonged drought.