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rosieq_gw

Quercus Bicolor Oak Tree

rosieq
16 years ago

Our landscape designer suggested we plant several of these oak trees, Quercus Biclor. I don't know anyone who has them and I haven't seen them except online.

Anyone have one or several of these oaks?

Any comments, positive or negative about them would be helpful.

Are they easy to maintain? expensive to buy? Are they messy?

Comments (12)

  • basic
    16 years ago

    Swamp White Oak has become a popular shade tree over the last several years and is readily available around here. Hasn't been fast for me, but supposedlt faster growing than Q. alba. I've got two that were planted about five years ago, and they've been trouble free. Both produced a light crop of acorns (nice big acorns) last season. One of them has a nice scarlet fall color, while the other is a more russet color. Mine are planted in relatively dry soil, but they obviously do well in wetter conditions. I don't think your LD is giving you bad advice.

  • wisconsitom
    16 years ago

    Agree with basic-becoming more commonly used, and for good reason. I've planted quite a few of them, and here at least, they do grow quickly. One of my favorite oaks.

    +oM

  • lucky_p
    16 years ago

    Not common here in southern west-central KY. I've planted several, but they've been problematic for me - seem to be singularly susceptible to 'oak tatters' or some other foliage-deforming condition.
    Q.bicolor hybrids(with bur & overcup oak), on the other hand, grow well for me here, and have no disease/pest issues.

  • quercus_macrocarpa
    16 years ago

    They're great trees. Your LD gave you solid advice.

  • Embothrium
    16 years ago

    Tends to develop bunches of twigs that make it look messy. Getting red fall color instead of weakly yellow (or worse) seems like it would make all the difference. Apparently another tree to be selected at fall color time.

  • bengz6westmd
    16 years ago

    There are some beautiful mature specimens along the C&O canal bike-path on the Potomac R. w/very dark green leaves w/whitish undersides. Also some highway dept. trees that are very handsome w/flaking bark unlike E. white oak.

    My one 3 yr-old seedling from OIKOS Treecrops grew 1 foot last season w/fuzzy leaves 10" long -- striking.

    Q. bicolor in general seems closer to Bur than E white oak.

  • Carrie B
    16 years ago

    They're used often here as street trees - tolerant of compaction, pollution and drought. Nice looking, too.

  • gandle
    16 years ago

    Here on the arid high plains they do quite well. Haven't seen any good fall color in any in the park system. Map shows we have 9 in the parks, wouldn't call them fast growing but medium rate of growth. In the 30+ years I've been connected with our parks I've never noticed any problems.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    16 years ago

    i mail ordered a 3 foot stick 5 years back ...

    pure yellow sand.. free range after the first year [no supplemental water] ... its going on 12 to 15 feet ... definitely not as fast growing as some of the others in my yard ... but definitely not a 'swamp' plant .... it may be ok in lots of water... but as far as my experience goes ... it inst a requirement ....

    no idea what color it is in fall ...

    ken

  • spruceman
    16 years ago

    Nice trees, really no fall color to speak of here.

    --Spruce

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    16 years ago

    probably why i have no recollection.. lol

    ken

  • cascadians
    16 years ago

    I have a really wet yard so planted 2 White Swamp Oaks. Got them cheap from a nursery who grew them in a river bog. It was in my 1st set of plantings, about 200 trees, and I did not yet know that it's better to plant saplings than big trees.

    These had wire baskets which I cut off. Took 3 men to plant each one. The tops of their branches died. Planted Dec05, now getting established. The advice of planting smaller is good advice.

    {{gwi:331473}}

    Swamp White Oak in above picture is back a bit on right. Don't have a clear picture of the other one. My 2 have kept their light brown leaves on throughout winter. They have handled standing water in the winter well. In the summer they don't like standing water.

    I would have planted more of these because oaks are wonderful trees, worth it through their slower growth, but these 2 were the last any nursery around here had at the time.