If anyone does this, I'd gladly take some acorns as well.

I posted on the Virginia gardeners forum also. I haven't gotten around to reading replies, if there are any yet. I will start another subject to talk about the Q. Alba X Q. Virginiana hybrid.My Compton's may be producing soon BTW, but not sure when, that's the problem.

I'm willing to do this. Right around the corner from me. I also responded in your va thread

Greengrass... I will take a few, I am getting seedlings I believe, from Mossy oaks. They are due to be shipped to me in Oct, a few days from now, but I will take some of the acorns, in case I am wrong and they have run out. I have Chestnut oak acorns, if you want to trade, they are getting mature quickly, so I will need to send them out soon. I can pay postage if you don't want to trade anything. Let me know your terms. poaky1

I'm struggling to remember, but I don't think those trees were evergreen after 1994. The overcup dominates the hybrid, they are pretty oaks but did not look like the Q. virginianas in Williamsburg. The live oaks were more or less fine after that freeze: what really stuck out was the Quercus acutas and Q. glaucas. Those were badly burnt, might have even needed some minor branch trimming. Whichever was near the Sequoias is huge now, and seems to be trying to dominate their lower canopy! I didn't look for the other locations. At least they haven't been cut down for not being Colonial or Native enough or somesuch nonsense.

It's still growing well and green. Should I take some pics of the tree and the acorns before gathering them?

Yes, please post pics, those would be interesting as a reminder.
Are these the trees in a allee on the W&M campus? Those are the ones I remember. Maybe there is another one in Wmbg that behaves more like an evergreen.

At this point, I mainly run my memory on my erstwhile sense of the desirability of something. For example I still have a perfectly good freeze-frame image in my mind of an Arbutus unedo 'Compacta' in full fruit. Because I'd never seen one in person before and they are so pretty. I had the oppurtunity to observe the W&M Compton oaks for some years, and they never struck me as very appealing. Of course, people's tastes do change. And garden settings do change. The Sequoias on campus are not as appealing looking as they were in the mid 90s, when they were had such perfect tall conical forms and hadn't had major storm damage yet.

Way off topic, but are the English Yews in Williamsburg still doing well? I think there was one in the Bruton Parish chuch yard and maybe one in the Governor's Palace grounds. I remember thinking back then that they were very uncommon in SE Viriginia. They looked a little ratty back then.

This post was edited by davidrt28 on Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 12:13

I believe the one the OP is referring to is near the governers palace. Off Nicholson. I knew it was an oak but honestly had no idea it was a hybrid evergreen. It's extremely large. Like 90 feet wide and according to my research it is referred to as a semi-evergreen type.

Ok, not to be prickly and difficult (as if that could happen!)
But I found a picture of the other Compton Oak in Wmbg. Not very evergreen looking in this picture. And not hideous, but probably not something I'd make space for in my garden:

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.williamsburgva.gov/Modules/ShowImage.aspx?imageid=805

And btw, in 9 out of 10 winters north of the Mason-Dixon, it would complete lose its leaf canopy in winter.

Yeah I would have pruned it a little differently I believe. I like other compton I oaks I have seen pictures of. Of I am currently looking for a quick growing nice shaped tree to plant at my house. We have no more trees left in our yard.

Sometimes when looking at trees in people's yards they of course assume I am looking at them or maybe casing the joint. Afterall, who would expect somebody to be looking at the stupid trees, right? Anyway, what I am wondering here is if that is what is meant by tree "peeps", as in peeping.

Took this one in 2013 when visiting the daughter and family. The Compton oak is spectacular!

I have 3 ( Or 4) Compton's oaks already in my yard and most aren't evergreen. The one in both pics shown by you guys, is the one I am thinking of. I am willing to do without the evergreen leaves, so that I can at least have the Live oak shape, or close to it. {{gwi:366330}} This is one of the trees in my yard this spring, it has grown a foot or 2 since. I will email you Greengrassjunkie for details. Thanks guys/gals

I just wanna add that my Durand oak stayed green winter 2012-2013. It is supposed to be deciduous, go figure. {{gwi:366331}} It is much bigger now, but here a pic.

Greengrassjunkie, I forgot that I don't HAVE your email address. I tried to post that fact earlier, but my computer was being tempermental, and I could'nt get back online to say so earlier. My email is julie.gogola@yahoo.com. Send me info on what you want for the acorns of Compton's oak in Va. ( Williamsburg, Va right?) I currently will be getting 3 Compton's seedlings from Mossy oak natives nursery, but would take a handful of acorns. I have explained in the Va forum how they are special, but, I don't want to pay alot for them. Maybe on ebay you can get a decent price for seedlings, but I will not pay much for them. My Compton's will produce seed in a few years themselves according to the nursery I got them from. Well, figure your price out and I will reply to you. If you choose to grow the trees and sell on ebay, about $9-$10 is your likely price range, unless those people check the Mossy oak natives nursery site, which is ever so slightly cheaper by 50 cents to a buck difference. If you want more than $1.00 per acorn, I will just wait til mine produce in 4-6 years. But you may be able to sell seedlings on ebay for 8-10 bucks when they are 2 ft tall. Just figure what your plans are. I will never be lacking in oak trees. A friend will be sending me a Libani oak soon. I will take an acorn or 2 at $1.00 or less. I don't mean to be smart, but they are rare but not super rare and unavailable in the US. The Libani mention is RARE and not available in the US. Tell me your price. Poaky1. Oh, P.S. You will need to put the acorns in a bucket of water, and those that don't sink are likely not good. Those that sink to the bottom are likely good. Any holes in the acorn are from insects that will eat the insides of the acorn and it will not sprout. I don't mean to be nasty, but the Compton's oak is rare, but not rare in my yard. I'll give you a buck per good acorn. Maybe ebay will get you the same amount of moolah, just make sure the acorns are good, you know no holes and they sink in a bucket of water.

I went to the Compton's Oak on 10/19, but think I was too late as there were NONE on the ground and very few left on the tree. I ended up with 5 and likely not all of them are good. I will try to start the ones I have and try to get there earlier next fall. They must be very tasty. ??? We scoured the place.

I would imagine, being a white oak family oak that they were tastier to critters. Yeah, you likely were a tad bit to late. I have already received 4 new Compton's oak babies from Mossy oak natives. I had posted about acorns because the guys at the Mossy oak nurseries weren't sure that they would have enough good acorns for filling their Compton's oak seedling orders this fall. That was because of springs weather must've held onto winters temps too long. I may have overexplained this all, sorry. Well, if those acorns sink in a bucket of water, or a tall glass, if you only have a few, they should be good, if they float, they are likely empty from bugs or not developed enough etc. The acorns you have, if good should be kept cool, or better yet direct sown on the ground where you want the tree. If you want to grow one, just put them not quite covered on their sides into the soil, the taproot will go directly into the soil. You can start in pots and keep outside or where it is 30-40F for a few months. I would just put them outside where you want your tree, put those you saw sink in water only. Space out a couple, see which grows faster in spring, protect the seeds/acorns with a basket or something, wire or something. In spring it should become a tree on top, your roots had all fall, winter and spring to push through, and I like to start oaks that way. No transplant crap and all your roots are growing as they should, no tangled root problems etc. Poaky1 If you know all this, sorry for being long winded.

Sad to hear that, clanross.

I'd love a Compton's. Maybe Mossy Oak has some left.

They just may have more, but you gotta spend $20 some odd bucks minimum for each order. They have tree shelters and all that too.