“People love their trees and they are just as concerned about them as we are as plant pathologists,” McBride said. “It’s part of our human nature I think to be curious as to why the tree died.”

Post Oaks, which bloom in the spring, can be found in most areas of Texas and are either shrubs or trees ranging from 20 to 75 feet tall with strong limbs and a densely-rounded canopy, according to AgriLife experts.

Texas A&M Agrilife Research forest pathologist David Appel, who has spent decades studying trees in the state, said while the phenomenon is affecting a relatively high number of post oak trees, it is important to realize this does not mean every post oak will be wiped out.

“All the trees are not going to die,” Appel said. “However, the impact is very great when it happens to somebody’s tree in their front yard because that tree is important to the taxpayer’s property value, for example.”

Appel noted that it’s particularly important to distinguish the trend of rapid decline from the fungal disease known as oak wilt, which is not particularly prevalent in post oaks.

Should the decline be mistaken for the disease, he said tree owners could end up spending a large amount of time and money on trying saving the tree, ultimately for no reason.