I don't know what it is but pending on the experts you have lucked out it appears to like your location/soil since it has grown to 8'.. Free Tree. Once there is positive ID you need to see if it will be a problem with respect to ultimate size and your house.

Morus alba.

...thread.

dsieber, There is an oak tree that will grow here to about 30 ft. and then develop iron chlorosis. East Texas has acid soil. People will go to East Texas, which starts only about 50 miles away, and dig up a tree and transplant it to our area. They will grow pretty well for a while, then turn yellow and die.

bboy, no, it's not a mulberry tree. Thanks for your help, anyway.

bkay

I have this volunteer/squirrel planted oak in my yard. I'm afraid it might be a variety that won't do well here as we have very alkaline soil.

===>>> dont you think.. that if the soil was not good.. that the acorn would have failed.. way before it hit 8 feet ...

and what.. did the squirrel mail order in a strange nut??.. it had to come from the near area ... there has to be a mature tree around ...

i would suggest that this is a FREE TREE ... enjoy natures bounty ...

nothing grows to 8 feet.. with major soil problems ...

ken

bkay, it looks like quercus texana to me but could be also be a shumard. There is a LOT of variation is red oak leaves (I'm sure you already knew that ;) )

Ken, I'm going to take a photo of a 40 ft. tall yellow oak tree for you if they haven't cut it down yet. It was on the way home from work for me for several years.

They will grow, they make acorns, the squirrels plant their nuts, the acorns sprout. They do not thrive. What makes me wonder about this one is the shape of the leaf. It's not a red oak. I don't think it's a burr oak. Obviously, it's not a live oak. Those are the common oaks in our area. I've compared it to every oak within 4 blocks. It doesn't match anything except one.

The lady who lived where this oak is, died about 2 years ago, intestate. She had no direct heirs. Long story - short, the house is sitting there rotting down. It not only has this oak, it also has some kind of poplar tree, which doesn't do well here. It has a walnut tree, which doesn't do well here. The poplar has an old wagon wheel and some other metal junk buried partially around it. (Old ladies used to do that to add iron to the soil.) From what the neigbor says, the woman's mother had a real green thumb and could and would try anything.

So, I have reason to believe that it might not be a suitable tree for this area. The one down the street is not yellow. It's about 5" in diameter. It's paler than the red oaks, but I'm not sure that means anything. If this is not a good tree, I would like to replace it now. I need more shade for my hosta.

bkay

It most certainly is in the red oak family. Oaks also make hybrids between species with variable leafed offspring.

Positive ID on many oaks (so I hear from the wise here) can only be definitive with buds/twigs, mature bark, and acorns.

j0nd03, I hope you are incorrect. I contacted the extension service this morning and they referred me to a local company called arborilogical services. I remember hearing about them on the radio. They are degreed foresters and work in this area. Maybe I'll get an answer there.

I'm afraid it might be a pin oak, which is often mistaken for a red oak.

thanks,

bkay

>and what.. did the squirrel mail order in a strange nut??.

I'd say he used that Internet thing to order it.

Squirrel Laptop
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I believe this to be a Pin Oak. It is a nice tree.

If it has problems down the road, it almost certainly can be treated; likely fairly easily. It is a pretty long lived tree and there are few diseases that can't be treated successfully, especially if caught early.

Make a huge mulch bed around it, fill with my some nice organic ground up mulch (fresh ground up branches from your city are great). Make sure it is not buried too deep.

Jamie

lol nice pic jamie

bkay, pin oak heritage is a possibility

They are degreed foresters and work in this area. Maybe I'll get an answer there.

Being a familiar local will help a lot - these guys probably know what oaks grow in the area. Being able to examine the leaf/twig in person helps too.

But having an internet group definitively id something in the red oak group from a single leaf picture is a bit tough. So in that regard I have to agree with j0nd03 on using more parts of the tree to make a positive id from here.

Great squirrel photo.

No, you can't deal with a tree that requires acid or neutral soil. You can deal with a shrub, such as an azalea or gardenia. The amount of iron that you would have to pump into a tree is cost prohibitive when they get big. People here love dogwoods and try to grow them. They go south at about 12 ft. You just can't put enough iron on them to make up for the soil. An oak will get to be 30 to 50 feet high, depending on the variety.

Thanks for your assistance. If I get an answer, I'll post it.

bkay

I thought the ISA arborist that I spoke to about an oak a couple years ago said that they could inject it or drench it around the trunk to treat chlorosis.

I also got information from the local extension office the other day about treating chlorosis; it was in regards to a maple. We were talking about it be caused by high PH. "If the soil test indicates a high soil pH, lower the pH by applying sulfur or ammonium sulfate."

It's my understand that any size tree can be treated. The conversation I had with the arborist was in reference to very large mature oak in the neighborhood that was showing signs of chlorosis, I know he said it could be treated and I thought he said it was either the injection or drenching a treatment around the tree.

Jamie

j0nd03 is right. It's a red oak. The arborist explained it's a Texas Red Oak. Young oaks have larger leaves than mature trees so that they can get more light and grow faster.

jamiedolan - living in an area with alkaline soils and water, you learn to stay away from acid loving plants. It's a lot easier to choose an adapted variety than try to treat the plant afterwards. Our soil is so alkaline that I have to add iron to plants like Sweet Autumn Clematis. Generally, I broadcast iron just like fertilizer every spring. I can't imagine what a pain it would be to treat a large tree. Of course, I'm a lazy gardener.

Thanks for everyone's help.

bkay

YES I GOT ONE RIGHT!!!!

I believe Texas Red Oak is quercus texana which is nuttall oak. It's very nice tree.

What are you going to do with the tree?

Oh and speaking of large leaves on young trees, if you want to see pics of MONSTER quercus marilandica leaves let me know.

You gotta be careful with common names - a "Texas red oak" is not necessarily the same as a "red oak" (unless you meant it is in the red oak group which was certainly understood because of the bristle tips). Did they give you the scientific name?

Way to go, j0nd03!

I'm going to baby it. Given good care, they grow relatively quickly. It's a little close to the fence, but not so close that it's a real problem. If I had planted it, I would have moved it south and west by a couple of feet. The squirrel didn't ask me.

The arborist did not give me a specific name. The message was relayed through their receptionist via email. I'm just happy for a good answer and that it will be a good tree for me.

bkay

The Texas Red Oak from central and north Texas is Quercus buckleyi now. They grow in very alkaline soil.

It should already be very well established and shouldn't need much help, lucky you! Definitely not worth digging up to move a few feet, I agree.

You might want to check for leaf miners. It appears they are present on the left leaf on the second lobe up at the right hand side.

Dax