Somehow in our collective subconscious we've irrevocably linked persistence with insignificance. While this superficial linkage isn't surprising, it is beyond short sighted. Just because something exists outside of the human timescale doesn't make it less important, in fact it is often quite the contrary. For those individuals that persists beyond the short decades that humanity uses to measure our own mortality, they often possess an unparalleled resiliency that is honed over eons.
So in the spirit of resiliency and persistence, this week I honor the oaks I grew up with, after all, its this time of year where the end of winter is just barely in sight, where all you can do really is just persist, and oaks seem to be pretty damn good at it. Oaks as a genus have managed to spread themselves across the northern hemisphere from cool temperate to tropical areas. In eastern north america we have two distinct evolutionary groups: Red Oaks (Quercus, section Lobatae) and White Oaks (Quercus, section Quercus). The main difference being the time it takes for the acorns to mature (Red Oaks, 18 months and White Oaks, 6 months..... in case anyone cares). The genus itself branched off from the chestnuts (genus Castanea) around 60 millions years ago and during this time oaks have formed a pretty amazing relationship with a group of insects called gall wasps..... and if you'd ever wondered what the f$#@k Mexican jumping beans are, they're actually are a variety of oak gall. And before I go off on any more of tangent, here are the oaks of New England:
Quercus bicolor, Swamp White Oak
Height: 50-60'
Spread: 50-60'
Figured I'd start with one of the most ubiquitous oaks of my childhood (given that most of my childhood consisted of mucking around in the town swamp that was my backyard). If there ever were a symbol of persistence and resiliency this tree is it. Adaptable to a wide range of moisture levels, soil type, ph (acid to slightly alkaline), and temperature (one of the most cold hardy oaks next to burr oak), the only thing this tree isn't a fan of is shade. This and Q. macrocarpa hybridize readily in the wild. These hybrids, considering the traits of their parents, may hold significant horticultural value.
Purchase from: Cold Stream Farm Forest Farm, Maple Creek Nursery, Naturally Native Nursery, Nearly Native Nursery, New England Wetland Plants, Inc., Shooting Star Nursery, Sooner Plant Farm, White Oak Nursery
Quercus palustris, Pin Oak
Height: 60-70'
Spread: 25-40'
Another oak of swampy haunts, this oak is almost impossible to miss, even when speeding by it on the freeway during a blizzard (I speak from experience). While, as it ages, it loses its distinctive and strongly layered pyramidal structure, during the first 35 years or so of its life it adheres to this blueprint pretty rigidly. Great tree for fall color. Tolerant of wet soils, intolerant of high ph (typically, when you see a planted Pin Oak struggling in the landscape, it most likely has to do with high pH). Despite the ph sensitivity, one of the easiest of oaks to transplant.
Purchase from: Cold Stream Farm Forest Farm, Greenwood Nursery, Naturally Native Nursery, New England Wetland Plants, Inc., Shooting Star Nursery, Sooner Plant Farm, White Oak Nursery
Quercus ilicifolia, Bear or Scrub Oak
Height: less than 30'
Spread: less than 30'
Q. ilicifolia will probably never replace Honeylocust one of the worlds most popular street trees (it doesn't usually get much over 25 feet tall and always seems to have an excess of low hanging branches), but it is an interesting oak nonetheless. If you've ever driven around Cape Cod it's what makes Cape Cod so uuum.... aaaah, Cape Coddy? Given the harsh sterile dry environment it usually grows in, a younger tree can often look like much older than you would guess, despite its short stature. Additionally, given the overall proportions of the tree, I have often been fooled many times into thinking a 15-20 foot tree was at least twice its actual size.
Purchase from: Forest Farm, Nearly Native Nursery, Shooting Star Nursery
Quercus rubra, Red or Northern Red Oak
Height: 60-75'
Spread: 60-75'
If you say oak, at least in the northeast, the image that pops into peoples heads most likely is a near spitting image of a Red Oak (whether they realize it or not). As with pin oak, intolerant of high ph, but unlike pin oak, also intolerant of waterlogged soil. Prefers things on the drier side. Overall a beautiful long lived tree with decent fall color (but not quite as vibrant as Pin Oak.... think i might be preferential). For an oak, relatively easy to transplant.
Purchase from: Cold Stream Farm Forest Farm, Greenwood Nursery, Maple Creek Nursery, Naturally Native Nursery, Nearly Native Nursery, New England Wetland Plants, Inc., Sooner Plant Farm, White Oak Nursery
Quercus alba, White Oak
Height: 50-80'
Spread: 50-80'
A BIG oak, and big tree in general. I don't like to make wine comparisons, cause I really, eally hate wine, but at least in youth there is nothing special about this tree. Fall color is querky and unpredictable, and sometimes non-existant. But, if you are looking for something majestic (although you might have to wait a while) this is the oak for you. Almost as adaptable as swamp white, but minus the swamp part (won't tolerate water-logged soils).
Purchase from: Cold Stream Farm Forest Farm, Maple Creek Nursery, Naturally Native Nursery, White Oak Nursery
Quercus coccinea, Scarlet Oak
Height: 50-70'
Spread: 40-50'
Quercus velutina, Black Oak
Height: 50-70'
Spread: 40-50'
Sooo I have to be honest, I don't really know that much about these two oaks. Mainly because I'm still not entirely sure what the actual difference is between them. Neither are prevalent in Northern New England, and although I've seen both I don't remember anything particularly memorable about them. Leaves very much like pin oak, and similar in size... but like its other relative (Red Oak) both like it on the drier side. Also both difficult to transplant. On the plus side Q. coccinea has (as its name would suggest) brilliant fall color and while not exceptionally drought tolerant, Q. velutina supposedly performs pretty admirably in the heat of the south.
Purchase Q. coccinea from: Forest Farm, Shooting Star Nursery
Purchase Q. velutina from: New England Wetland Plants, Inc., Shooting Star Nursery
Quercus macrocarpa, Bur Oak
Height: 60-80'
Spread: 60-80'
This oak has a fairly curious distribution in New England and is limited to fairly isolated populations in the northern and western parts of the region. Beyond its interesting distribution, Q. macrocarpa, is pretty adaptable, almost to the extent of Q. bicolor, and while not as tolerant of water-logged soils, it has one of the widest ph tolerances of any of our native oaks. While this characteristic gives it great potential as an urban street tree, it is unfortunately extremely difficult to transplant onces it gets to any substantial size. This and Q. bicolor hybridize readily in the wild. These hybrids, considering the traits of their parents, may hold significant horticultural value.
Purchase from: Cold Stream Farm Forest Farm, Maple Creek Nursery, Shooting Star Nursery, Sooner Plant Farm, White Oak Nursery
Quercus muehlenbergii, Chinkapin or Yellow Chestnut Oak
Height: 40-60'
Spread: 50-70'
One of those oaks, that doesn't really look like an oak, and it gets its name from its former (now nearly extinct) distant second cousin twice removed, the American Chestnut, and like the once great American Chestnut, quite drought tolerant. Prefers well drained, sandy soils, and its ph adaptability is right up there with Q. macrocarpa.
Purchase from: Sooner Plant Farm, Lazy S'S Farm Nursery
Quercus prinus (syn. Q. montana), Chestnut or Basket Oak
Height: 60-70'
Spread: 60-70'
Similar to the above in leaf, and culture, but (at least according to Dirr) has a lot more potential as a cultivated tree, not only for general drought tolerance, but how well it seems to transplant. Slightly larger than Q. muehlenbergii, and leaves are a darker green. Also apparently hard to beat if you looking for edible acorns, apparently they're pretty good.
Purchase from: Forest Farm, Toadshade Wildflower Farm
Quercus phellos, Willow Oak
Height: 40-60'
Spread: 30-40'
And finally a very Un-New England oak, but after seeing it on the streets of Philadelphia growing in what could barely be called soil, looking happy and thriving it seemed wrong not to give it a shout-out. Despite reaching only as far north as Southern New York, Q. phellos (if the right stock is selected) can be hardy into zone 5. Stratified structure much like its relative (Q. palustris), but leaves more like the southern evergreen oaks (simple, narrowly elliptical).
Purchase from: Forest Farm, Greenwood Nursery, Shooting Star Nursery, Sooner Plant Farm
And all the other east coast oaks.....
Quercus imbricaria, Shingle Oak
Quercus marilandica, Blackjack Oak
Quercus michauxii, Swamp Chestnut Oak
Quercus nigra, Water Oak
Quercus prinoides Dwarf Chestnut Oak
Quercus stellata, Post Oak
And just in case you ever need a quick primer:
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