Got Nature? Blog

Purdue Landscape Report: Each spring the PPDL receives several samples of oak trees showing curled, twisted, stunted and/or generally ratty looking leaves. When there are holes in the leaves or leaf edges are missing tissue, we add another symptom name to the mix: tatters.

Distorted new growth and tatters are most common on white oaks and may occasionally show up on red oak, hackberry and other trees. Upon initial inspection the leaves look as if they have been shredded or severely fed upon by insects. However, a closer observation of the leaves will reveal that the leaf tissue has not been removed, but rather, it never developed normally.  We have seen this problem on white oaks for many years in Indiana and it has been reported in other states throughout the Midwest.

Several possible causes for this symptom have been proposed, including poor growing conditions, insect injury, leaf diseases, late spring frost damage and herbicide drift; however, no single factor serves to explain all the cases. In 2020 we saw a distinct link between tattered oak leaves and a late spring frost that year but the connection is not always so clear cut. See PLR article: Oaks Will Persist After Ugly Summer Start.

Researchers have shown that acetochlor and s-metolachlor drift can cause tatters-like symptoms but results were variable, and in some treatments red oaks were more affected than white oaks, contrary to the expected results. In many instances there is no direct link to herbicide drift. We once had samples from a white oak tree that showed symptoms of tatters and leaf curl every year, yet was located in the middle of a heavily forested area miles away from any agricultural fields that might have been a source of herbicide drift. While the exact cause may not be clear, it does appear that conditions that lead to tatters occur while the leaves are still developing.

To view this full article and other Purdue Landscape Report articles, please visit Purdue Landscape Report.

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Resources:
The Purdue Landscape Report
Certified Soil Testing Laboratories, Purdue Extension-Master Gardener Program
Consumer Horticulture: Collecting Soil Samples for Testing, The Education Store
Purdue Landscape Report Facebook Page
Find an Arborist website, Trees are Good, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
Tree Installation: Process and Practices, The Education Store
Planting Forest Trees and Shrubs in Indiana, The Education Store
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree, Video, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Tree Defect Identification, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Tree wounds and healing, Got Nature? Blog
Tree Pruning Essentials, Publication & Video, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Tree Risk Management, The Education Store
Why Is My Tree Dying?, The Education Store

Tom Creswell, Plant & Pest Diagnostic Laboratory Director
Purdue Botany and Plant Pathology