Oakey dokey -- show us your native Quercus, Oaks!

[SEVA]

Quercus falcata

[SEVA]

I saw someone already posted a photo of a large water oak (Quercus nigra), but here are the leaves from one of mine.

[SEVA]

Laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia) in Suffolk, VA.  This can look very similar to two other of our native oaks: willow oak (Quercus phellos) and sand laurel oak/ Darlington oak (Quercus hemisphaerica).  Although, it looks more like Q. hemisphaerica than Q. phellos in my opinion.

[Darold Petty]

I just did a internet search for images of the oak of my childhood, Quercus lobata.  The images are not representative of the largest forms of this species.   The rich alluvial soils adjacent to the Sacramento river support the largest expression of this oak. (zip code 95970).  Next time I visit my Mom I will try to get a representative photo.  

[SEVA]

I only have seedlings of Quercus hemisphaerica.

[SEVA]

White oak (Quercus alba) in Suffolk, VA. That's all I have for now.  I'll try to get a picture of our native cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda) sometime.  It resembles Quercus falcata and some consider it a variety of Q. falcata.

[Hillizard]

Two small-scale 'scrub' oaks that have been growing for years in my front yard (which is landscaped with California native plants only) and can be kept shrub-size with occasional pruning: Quercus dumosa and Quercus berberidifolia. Behind the Q. berberdifolia is Zauschneria latifolia johnstonii, 'bush California fuchsia' in full fall bloom.

[DoomsDave]

On 6/18/2016 at 1:28 PM, Pal Meir said:

This is, or better: was actually only one stem, as the old drawing is documenting.

PS: This oak is said to be 1300 to 1500 years old too, but botanists claim that it might be only 850 years old.

Oy, what's a few centuries among friends? Omas don't seem to notice . . . .

[Fusca]

Not exactly the largest specimen but there's several Quercus macrocapa (bur oak) planted around our fairly new subdivision.  Acorn size is the interesting characteristic - largest of all North American oaks.  I've added a few acorns from our native live oak Quercus fusiformis behind them to compare with a U.S. quarter for scale.  They look like they are wearing wool ski caps in anticipation of some serious cold weather!

 

Edited October 10, 2019 by Fusca

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Fusca said:

Not exactly the largest specimen but there's several Quercus macrocapa (bur oak) planted around our fairly new subdivision.  Acorn size is the interesting characteristic - largest of all North American oaks.  I've added a few acorns from our native live oak Quercus fusiformis behind them to compare with a U.S. quarter for scale.  They look like they are wearing wool ski caps in anticipation of some serious cold weather!

 

Nice to see this sp. in landscapes. Next to the big -leaved, Mexican Quercus sp., Q.  macrocarpa, and Post Oak ( Quercus stellata ) are my favorties..  Both are very common in woodland areas where i lived in Kansas. Nice, somewhat tropical look through the summer, lots of color in the fall most years. There's even a lone Bur Oak somehow surviving up in Scottsdale at a popular park close to downtown. Have only seen it producing acorns once, most of which were past ripe, ( rattle in the shells ) and not good for germinating. 

[Fusca]

47 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Nice to see this sp. in landscapes.

For some reason it's not used much here either, at least in my observation.  There are some really old Q. macrocarpas in Brenham, TX where I used to work that are at least twice as high/wide as this one which is the largest one in my subdivision.  They were planted on the edge of the staff parking lot and unfortunately my designated parking space was underneath one of them!  So I always parked in an unoccupied space in the same lot during the fall months to avoid a broken windshield!  That actually happened to a colleague whose spot was adjacent to mine.   Those acorns are heavy suckers - like mini coconuts which make quite a sound when they fall!  I think this tree in my subdivision just started producing because there were minimal acorns under the tree last year and didn't notice any the year before.  The seed on the far right was a rattler but the others appear to be viable.

[jimmyt]

2 hours ago, Fusca said:

For some reason it's not used much here either, at least in my observation.  There are some really old Q. macrocarpas in Brenham, TX where I used to work that are at least twice as high/wide as this one which is the largest one in my subdivision.  They were planted on the edge of the staff parking lot and unfortunately my designated parking space was underneath one of them!  So I always parked in an unoccupied space in the same lot during the fall months to avoid a broken windshield!  That actually happened to a colleague whose spot was adjacent to mine.   Those acorns are heavy suckers - like mini coconuts which make quite a sound when they fall!  I think this tree in my subdivision just started producing because there were minimal acorns under the tree last year and didn't notice any the year before.  The seed on the far right was a rattler but the others appear to be viable.

I think you just answered you own observation as to why more are not planted.   CAUTION:  DANGEROUS FALLING MINI-COCONUTS.  PASS UNDER AT YOUR OWN RISK!  

Ok Ok they are magnificent beautiful trees.  I have started some from acorns collected years ago in Ft. Worth TX.

[Silas_Sancona]

18 minutes ago, jimmyt said:

I think you just answered you own observation as to why more are not planted.   CAUTION:  DANGEROUS FALLING MINI-COCONUTS.  PASS UNDER AT YOUR OWN RISK!  

Ok Ok they are magnificent beautiful trees.  I have started some from acorns collected years ago in Ft. Worth TX.

Could be worse, ie: Quercus insignis, which possesses the world's largest acorn.  Think of the damage those would cause bouncing off a car, or your head  lol.

Holly oak, a European sp.  that had been planted in alot of neighborhoods back where i grew up in CA. are bad enough on cars when they drop bucket leads of acorns. Hard enough to walk over when they cover the sidewalk beneth a tree. 

Curious if either of you see Quercus suber, Cork Oak planted anywhere there in Texas. Supposed to be hardy to zone 8. Would think they'd do well in the drier parts of the state. 

[DoomsDave]

No thread about oaks is complete without the Oaks.

Sorry, Devil got into me.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=oak+ridge+boys+sail+away

[jimmyt]

I cannot say that I have ever run across Cork Oaks planted in Texas........           Oh I get it the Oak Ridge Boys and Oak trees!   

[Josue Diaz]

@Darold Petty lobata grows along the southern rivers also. We harvest acorns for flour in the fall from groves along the King's and San Joaquin rivers. Although other species of oak grow nearby (blue oak,  interior live oak,  black oak), we stick to acorns from quercus lobata for their large size and minimal tannin content. 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2019 by Josue Diaz

[Darold Petty]

On 10/2/2019 at 10:11 AM, Darold Petty said:

I just did a internet search for images of the oak of my childhood, Quercus lobata.  The images are not representative of the largest forms of this species.   The rich alluvial soils adjacent to the Sacramento river support the largest expression of this oak. (zip code 95970).  Next time I visit my Mom I will try to get a representative photo.  

Well, I finally made a trip to my childhood area.  Here are images of the valley oak.  Sorry for the poor quality.  The sky was very dark, with the threat of imminent rain.  This tree is 6.37 feet  (1.94M) in diameter at breast height.  The truck is closer to the camera than the tree, so that the truck is not a true scale for the tree trunk.  With very wet soil I couldn't park exactly adjacent for fear of getting stuck.  The surrounding orchard trees are English walnuts.

 Note the two birds at the top left.  I failed to note them until reviewing the images.  I assume them to be turkey vultures  (Cathartes aura) as there was a fresh roadkill just across the road.  Also, I will re-post the link about the Hooker Oak of Chico, CA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooker_Oak