Victoria County Master         Gardener Association

LIVE OAKS RULE

But there are other tree options that are suitable for our area

November 19, 2022

By Charlie Neumeyer/Victoria County Master Gardener

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY TEXAS NATIVE PLANTS DATABASE/AGGIE HORTICULTURE

The Chinquapin oak has serrated leaves that will turn to a bronze color in the fall.

MORE OAKS TREES
There is a close relationship between Texas red oak and Shumard oak. This fact has caused many botanical classification problems. The two trees may be listed as two separate species in some manuals, while other manuals list Texas red oak as a variety of Shumard oak.

Other Oak Trees to Consider:

(These oaks may be hard to find)

• Loquat-leaf oak (Quercus risophylla)

• Canby’s oak ((Quercus canbyi)

• Mexican royal oak (Quercus germana)

• San Carlos Mountains red oak (Quercus san carlos)

Sources:

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

• Aggie Horticulture

• The John Fairey Garden

• The Parker County Master Gardeners

The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.

Oak trees are an important part of our landscape. Looking around, it is obvious that the live oak is dominant both in nature and in our yards. There are many other native and adapted oaks that have qualities that may make them a better choice for our landscapes. Here are a few that are worth investigating.

Chinquapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)
According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, the Chinquapin oak, aka Chinkapin Oak, is “an attractive medium to large shade tree.” It is adaptable to a range of soils and has “medium low” water requirements. It may each up to 90 feet in height under ideal growing conditions, but is usually smaller. It has “distinctive saw-tooth leaves which turn from yellow to bronze in the fall. It is “seldom troubled by diseases or pests and develops an open rounded crown” as it matures.

Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii)

The Shumard oak is a large tree that can reach heights of 120 feet and a trunk up to 3 feet in diameter. The Parker County Master Gardener Association notes that “the beauty of this oak is the brilliant red fall color.” The acorns of this tree require two years to mature and are ”usually about an inch in length and half that in width.”

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension notes that it is “fast-growing with an open canopy and stout spreading branches.” It has “medium low” water requirements and is adaptable to different soils.

Texas red oak (Quercus texana)
The Texas red oak tree is a medium to small tree, “usually growing 30 to 50 feet,” so about one-fourth to one-half the size of the Shumard oak. You are likely to see the pure Texas red oak in West Texas, while the ones you see in the Dallas to San Antonio areas are likely “hybrids of Texas red oak and Shumard red oak.”

Aggie Horticulture notes that the Texas red oak “is smaller, more often multi-trunked and more drought tolerant than the Shumard oak.” Like Shumard oak, the foliage turns “bright shades of vivid red and orange in autumn.”

Water requirements are low and it is adaptable to various soil conditions.

Monterey oak (Quercus polymorpha)
This oak tree is a bit more moderate in size in that it grows to about 45 feet at maturity. Aggie Horticulture describe the tree as “upright oval ...with semi-evergreen 3 inches to 4.5 inches leaves…that makes a nice shade, street, or park tree.” Because it is semi-evergreen, it will have “functional and persistent foliage during part of the winter,” much like a live oak.

According to The John Fairey Gardens, this oak has “highly variable habit and leaf, meaning that the shape of the leaf and the shape of the tree can vary from specimen to specimen.” It too is adaptable to different soils and has medium low water requirements.

Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
According to Texas A&M “The Gardens,” the Bur oak is noted for its “very large leaves and acorns: the leaves are from one-half to one foot long, and acorns and can be as large as 2 inches long and wide.” They are huge. It is considered to be fast-growing and long-lived. This tree is deciduous, has very high heat tolerance with medium low water needs.

A fellow master gardener gave me a seedling, which I planted last spring. Despite the heat, hordes of grasshoppers and some neglect, it has almost doubled in size.

Trees are often the anchors of our gardens. They add value and beauty, not to mention shade. Beyond aesthetics, oak trees in particular provide food and shelter for multiple critters. But to add a little variety, we need to think outside the “live oak” box.