There are some swellings which occur on white oaks that aren't caused by a fungus but rather by the wood naturally growing over young buds and forming a gall or swelling. True burls can be removed by pruning or in some cases by surgery. They do little or no damage to trees. This is an important disease of all oaks. Members of the white oak group die very slowly after infection occurs and can carry the fungus in the vascular system without showing any symptoms.
Red oaks die rapidly after infection occurs.
Symptoms show up on red oaks in early May as a bronzing of the leaves. On live oak, the leaf symptom is variable. The most common symptom is brown necrosis of the leaf veins. The remainder of the leaf may remain green or turn slightly yellow. Severe leaf drop occurs while the leaves are still green.