We have a 35 year old white oak tree that started showing signs of stress last summer. It had fewer leaves on the very edges of the canopy, almost none toward the center. It produced a fraction of the acorns it usually did, and a lot of them were hollow. We decided to wait and see what this spring would bring. It does not look like it is going to be any different. The canopy of the tree is almost see-through, there are so few leaves. The bark looks healthy, no visible signs of pests. There has been no disturbance to the area around the tree. Any ideas?? Thanks. MR

Greetings Mary:

I would be hesitant to suggest that something is amiss seeing that many of our white oak species here on campus are just now breaking dormancy. However, you have been very helpful by providing a history of this particular white oak in that this tree has displayed "symptoms" in the past (i.e., sparse foliage throughout the crown). I wouldn't worry too much about acorn production as fruiting is a cyclical event.

That said, I would encourage you to contact a professional arborist or a local Extension horticulturist to see if they can provide you with an on-site assessment as there are too many variables to consider based on your question.

UI Extension Offices:

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state/findoffice.html

Illinois Arborist Association:

http://www.illinoisarborist.org/CertifiedArboristsNew.htm