Oak Tatters - Oak Tree Tatters Disease

Possibly you have seen this odd condition on your oaks. Sometimes the symptoms are very severe. Other times only one side of the tree is affected. Regardless, it usually causes some grower concern.

"Oak tatters" is a term coined for a condition that has occurred for at least 20 years in Illinois. The foliage appears to have been eaten by an insect, leaving only the major veins and a bit of tissue around the veins remaining intact. All soft tissues of the leaves are missing. The foliage is not scorched or necrotic. What remains of the leaf is usually green. In fact, the condition may go unnoticed because there is no brown tissue. The foliage appears lacey and green, and the canopy thinned. The image shows a typical case of oak tatters on white oak. Leaves on the left side of the image are normal. Leaves in the middle of the image, and those on the right, show "tatters" symptoms.

College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Illinois Natural History Survey