Oak trees fall to drought
Three in a La Crescenta park are downed. Dry conditions make it easier for insects to devour trees from the inside, expert says.
Three oak trees have fallen in Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta during the last few months, and experts believe the drought is at least partly to blame.
Kevin Kane, an arborist with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, said the prolonged absence of rain has led to an increased population of borer insects that eat trees such as oaks from the inside.
“I’ve never seen so much stress on trees in my experience, and that goes back 25 years,” he said.
With no rainfall and a lack of irrigation, sap doesn’t flow freely through trees, making it easier for insects to get in them and move about, Kane said.
Signs of a dying tree include leaves turning brown, leaves falling off the tips of the branches or branches appearing to die, said parks department spokeswoman Kaye Michaelson.
No one was injured by the fallen trees at Crescenta Valley Park, Michaelson said.
La Crescenta resident and arborist Gary Knowlton said that although the drought is tough on trees, another issue that speeds up their demise is roots that are damaged or torn out.
He cautions homeowners to be careful when working on home-improvement projects that require digging around trees.
“The drought is a portion, but another significant portion is human activity,”
Knowlton said.