It's sending roots down instead of using energy for upward growth, it seems.

The leaf situation is normal.

When it doesn't leaf out at all, then you have a problem/dead tree. Give it time.

Dax

OK thanks for the reply. Hope you have a good new year.

We have too many deer ....do you know of anything to keep them out of the flowers and garden .... short of a fence.
Scott

Many younger oaks hold onto their brown leaves through the winter (some older ones as well).

Scott, White Oaks hold their leaves most of the winter, Red Oaks shed them in the fall. I'm presuming you have Quercus bicolor?
For deer, I grow Poncirus trifoliata. I cut the branches and put them over/around the small plants. To discourage buck rebs, I hang them in the trees over the winter. A PITA, but it save heartache. Even then, I can't protect them all, but it helps.

My Pin oaks keep theirs up til spring, when they put out new leaves. My Q. Bicolor have a few tan clingers. Not sure which Water-oak you mean.

The common name for Q. bicolor is swamp oak. As Dax mentioned its normal for swamp oak to hang onto to its brown leaves (and show very little fall color) up until their juvenile years. I don't see them hang on mature trees around here.

Exposure and precipitation have alot to do with how much and how long they hold on.

Hey whaas. Around here, older trees lose their leaves to the wind down to the point near the ground where the wind is somewhat blocked. It is not uncommon to see small trees with all their leaves, and bigger trees ( > 25ft) 1/2 clothed. This winter has been windy, so white oaks are pretty naked. I'll try to take a pic and show you what I mean.

Yep, I see the same. A huge business park around here planted quite a few swamp oak. They are about 15 years old, possibly 30' tall and as of last week they are about 1/2 clothed.

I think it would be better to write 'swamp white oak' rather than 'swamp oak'. The former can only mean one species-Quercus bicolor, while the latter could mean any number of high water table-adapted species spread across the land.

+oM