Mighty oaks bring majesty to landscape

The mighty oak. Just the name inspires visions of established, traditional landscapes, perhaps even thoughts of British country estates seen in TV costume dramas on Masterpiece Theatre.

In a recent Plant Man column, I answered a question from a reader who asked why we don't see a lot of English Oaks in this country. The fact is that the English Oak does not adapt well to conditions in many parts of the United States.

But if you have your heart set on oak trees, don't give up hope. There are a number of native oak varieties that will satisfy your craving. Today, I'll give you a quick overview of some that you might want to investigate.

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

Let's start with Pin Oak because it is probably the native oak most widely used by landscapers. One good reason is that Pin Oak is one of the faster growing oaks, adding 12 to 15 feet over a 5 to 7 year period. The mature tree is distinctive with its ascending upper branches, horizontal middle branches, and drooping lower branches. It produces small, round acorns favored by wood ducks, perhaps because Pin Oaks can often be found in wetland environments reaching a height of 50 to 75 feet. Suitable for growing in USDA zones 4 through 9.

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra L.)

Northern Red Oaks are held in high regard for timber production in North America. The wood quality is highly valued which makes it a great tree to consider if you're fortunate enough to be planning a forest plantation as an investment for your heirs! It's an easy tree to transplant and easy to grow, known for its fiery red fall color. It reaches a mature height of around 60 feet and has a wide canopy spread. It tolerates most soil conditionsin partial shade to full sun. Plant in zones 3 to 8.

Sawtooth Oak (Quercus acutissima)

The Sawtooth gets its quirky name from bristle-like leaf lobes. It is a wide spreading, clean foliated shade or lawn tree and a great source for wildlife food because it begins to produce acorns in its fifth year. Sawtooth Oak Tree has moderate water requirements and a moderate tolerance to salt and alkali soils, with a mature height of 30 to 50 feet. Zones 5 to 9. There's also the Gobbler Sawtooth Oak, so named because it produces a smaller acorn favored by wild turkeys, and thus is popular with wild game enthusiasts.

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)

The Overcup is a beautiful medium size spreading oak with a rounded form and symmetrical shape. It's a good choice to plant as an ornamental for specimen plantings or background for other grass and shrub plantings. Overcup Oak can be used in smaller landscapes growing to only 40 foot tall and having a 40 foot spread over time. Overcup oaks are also used to improve wildlife habitat and for bottomland restoration. This tree can be planted in wetter areas. The acorns are loved by ducks, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, and squirrels. USDA zones 5 to 9.

When it comes to fall color, most oaks cannot quite match the eye-popping golds and reds sported by maples, although Northern Red Oaks and Pin Oaks, in particular, produce some fine color. Generally, oaks produce their fall color a little later than maples, so if your landscape includes both maples and oaks, you can enjoy the colors over a longer period.

As you might know, the acorns produced by oaks are a favorite food for many forms of wildlife. As such, oak trees are popular with people who simply enjoy the sight of wildlife, but particularly with those interested in developing larger areas as habitat to be used for hunting.

Whatever your reason, oak trees can add a stately ambience to almost any landscape with an appropriate scale to accommodate them.

In addition to the varieties I've described here, check out some of the others such as Cherrybark Oak, Water Oak or Willow Oak. As always, I'm happy to address any specific questions about your landscape, or to suggest some buying information if you contact me at steve@landsteward.org