Obvious signs of damage include loss of leaves and dead limbs. But there’s another, less conspicuous sign that took a while to appear: patches of the fungus ... to red oaks, other trees that ...

ATOKA COUNTY, Okla. (KTEN) — This past fall, drought in portions of Texoma have caused an influx of a tree fungus, which explains why you may be seeing more dead trees in southeastern Oklahoma.

Oak wilt is caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum and it will kill oak trees, especially trees in the red oak family ... creating an expanding circle of dead trees, the DNR said.

Texans can help prevent the spread of oak wilt by avoiding pruning or wounding oak trees from February through June.