{"id":22389,"date":"2023-05-23T13:22:27","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T17:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=22389"},"modified":"2026-04-17T14:41:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T18:41:55","slug":"oak-leaf-tatters-purdue-landscape-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/oak-leaf-tatters-purdue-landscape-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Oak Leaf Tatters-Purdue Landscape Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Purdue Landscape Report<\/a>: 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:\"white<\/a> tatters.<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0We have seen this problem on white oaks for many years in Indiana and it has been reported in other states throughout the Midwest.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0distinct 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"red<\/a><\/p>\n

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.
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

To view this full article and other Purdue Landscape Report articles, please visit Purdue Landscape Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Subscribe and receive the newsletter: Purdue Landscape Report Newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Resources:
\n<\/strong>The Purdue Landscape Report<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Certified Soil Testing Laboratories<\/a>, Purdue Extension-Master Gardener Program
\nConsumer Horticulture: Collecting Soil Samples for Testing<\/a>, The Education Store
\nPurdue Landscape Report Facebook Page<\/a>
\nFind an Arborist<\/a>\u00a0website, Trees are Good, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
\nTree Installation: Process and Practices<\/a>, The Education Store
\nPlanting Forest Trees and Shrubs in Indiana<\/a>, The Education Store
\nPlanting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree, Video<\/a>, Purdue Extension \u2013 Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
\nTree Defect Identification<\/a>, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
\nTree wounds and healing<\/a>, Got Nature? Blog
\nTree Pruning Essentials, Publication<\/a>\u00a0&\u00a0Video<\/a>, The Education Store
\nShrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest<\/a>, The Education Store
\nTree Risk Management<\/a> \u2013 Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR
\nWhy Is My Tree Dying?<\/a> \u2013 Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension \u2013 Forestry and Natural Resources<\/p>\n

Tom Creswell<\/a>, Plant & Pest Diagnostic Laboratory Director
\nPurdue Botany and Plant Pathology<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,42,80,49,54,622],"tags":[131,67,895,1783,408],"class_list":["post-22389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alert","category-forestry","category-trees","category-plants","category-wildlife","category-woodlands","tag-foresty","tag-plants","tag-purdue-landscape-report","tag-tattered-leaves","tag-trees","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22389"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41158,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22389\/revisions\/41158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}