Several oak and other trees appear to be stressed and dying in Oak Hill Cemetery. The trees, which are near the entrance to the cemetery in eastern Lawrence, are showing many of the signs of a dead tree, including a lack of leaves during growing season. But Parks and Recreation officials said they hope the trees simply were shocked by some odd weather events late last year. Some signs of green have emerged on the trees.

A mystery is brewing at Oak Hill Cemetery that may result in the death of about a dozen large oak trees that have been fixtures at the property for more than 50 years.

“We’re not ready to call them dead yet,” said Mark Hecker, assistant director of parks and recreation. “We’re still holding out hope. Those would be a huge loss.”

The trees, which are near the entrance to the cemetery in eastern Lawrence, are showing many of the signs of a dead tree, including a lack of leaves during this growing season. But Parks and Recreation officials said they hope the trees simply were shocked by some odd weather events late last year. Some signs of green have emerged on the trees.

Hecker said his department asked the Douglas County Extension office for help in determining what’s going on with the large oaks. Hecker said one theory is that the trees were actively growing in the fall, and then there was a sudden and early freeze in November. That was followed by a very dry winter. The Journal-World has received calls from some readers reporting problems with oak trees in other parts of the city as well.

“There have been a lot of funny weather patterns,” said Crystal Miles, the city’s horticulture manager. “Sometimes that catches the trees off guard. But it is still very much a mystery.”

Miles said some people even have speculated that the crop of cicadas has had an impact on the trees’ health.

Miles said the city also hasn’t ruled out that the trees were affected by some type of chemical over-spray. Hecker said tissue samples of trees have been sent to a lab for testing to determine whether there’s a chemical explanation.

One possible explanation is more mundane: It may be that the drought finally caught up with the big trees. Hecker said it is hard to remember “now that we’re in monsoon season,” but the area has been very short on precipitation until this recent rainy season.

He said there have been signs of distressed trees all over the city. He said the city is in the process of removing 212 trees in public street right of ways that have died due to drought. Miles said the losses have been citywide, with elms, silver maples and ash trees being hit particularly hard.

The big oak trees near the entrance are the most noticeable tree problems at the cemetery, but Miles said about 80 trees in total at Oak Hill and nearby Memorial Park Cemetery are in various levels of distress.

Miles said the relatively cool weather of the last several weeks could be beneficial for the struggling trees. But other than keeping an eye on the trees, there’s not much the city can do, city officials said.

“We’ve had plenty of water,” Hecker said. “That should give them a fighting chance.”