kai602•4d ago

I think oak trees get way too much credit for being strong.

After a storm last spring knocked three big oaks out of my client's yard in Portland but left the firs standing, I started wondering if we just assume oaks are tougher than they really are because of how they look, has anyone else noticed oaks failing more often than people expect?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason3284d agoMost Upvoted

That storm really opened my eyes too. I saw the same thing up here in the Portland area after those spring winds - firs stood tall while oaks just snapped or tipped over. It's like their big branches and wide tops catch too much wind, but the roots don't hold as well as we think. I watched one oak in my neighbor's yard split right down the middle, and everyone was shocked because it looked so solid. We definitely give them credit for being sturdy just because they look old and thick. It's a bummer when they go down, but they're not the iron trees people make them out to be.

victor_carter514d ago

And @jason328 nailed it, my buddy out in Gresham had a huge oak split clean in half during that same storm while his neighbor's firs barely lost a branch. It really makes you wonder if we've been giving oaks too much credit just because they look like they belong in a fantasy novel.