DRIPPING SPRINGS BABBLE: CELEBRATE ARBOR DAY BY SPREADING OAK WILT AWARENESS

CELEBRATE ARBOR DAY BY SPREADING OAK WILT AWARENESS

Today is National Arbor Day, traditionally observed the last Friday of April. While many towns and organizations celebrate by planting trees, it's also a good time to remember to respect and take care of the trees we have. With Dripping's mild temperatures and sunny days, the whine of chainsaws has grown ever louder. While these may be the most pleasant days to trim trees, they are among the worst when it comes to the risk of spreading oak wilt, the destructive tree disease that is killing our Dripping Springs oak trees. The disease is caused by a fungus carried by beetles. When an infected beetle lands on a fresh pruning cut, it can infect the tree. Most infected oak trees will die within a few months and, thanks to the massive root system of live oaks, spread the disease to other trees. The beetles appear to be most active during this spring weather, but no matter what time of year, whether in the really hot or really cold months when the beetles aren't typically active, always paint fresh pruning wounds immediately after you cut the branch. If you see your neighbors cut a branch and not paint the wound, ask them to please paint. Hand them a can of pruning paint. Or just about any kind of spray paint.

If preserving our trees doesn't grab your attention from an aesthetic (or cool shade) perspective, on a 10 acre tract of land, oak wilt can swing the price by a staggering $10,000 - $20,000 per acre. No matter what size the land, even a 1.5 acre lot, the presence of oak wilt provides definite leverage for the buyer.

To learn more about oak wilt, visit texasoakwilt.org, a collaborative project between the Texas Forest Service, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and more.