skip to main content

Tree identification (oak) ?

19 years ago

I have seen a tree around the Austin area that is clearly an oak but I have not been able to identify it. It seems to be mostly something that builders plant as part of the landscaping, so the only ones I have seen are sort of young. The tree has a relatively well-defined sphere for a canopy, with elongated leaves that are ~4-5 times long as they are wide. The one I saw yesterday was packed with tiny acorns. The acorns seemed to come in clusters of 3 or 4 in a bunch, and were the tiniest acorns I have ever seen -- the largest was 1/2" in size, and most were around 1/4" or so. The acorns were mostly sperical in shape.

My gut feel is that this thing is some sort of live oak, but the southern and escarpment live oaks around Austin look sigificantly different.

Does anyone know what this tree is?

Thanks,

D

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

ladyslppr
19 years ago
If the tree has acorns, then it must be an oak. A more thorough description of the leaves would probably help you get more responses regarding ID. I'd guess that you are seeing Willow Oak, which is very common in landscaping. Willow oak is deciduous and should be losing its leaves sometime soon.

Questions to answer about the leaves include: What shape are the leaves (typical oak leaf shape? oval? heart shaped? lance shape?), what are the edges like (teeth or no teeth? large or small teeth?) are the leaves thick and leathery or thin like a maple leaf?
millefiori
19 years ago
We have lots of willow oak around here. They like wet, acidic soils. Leaves are like those of a willow tree, and branches sort of droop, but they do not weep like a willow. Fall color is typically yellow.

Here is a link to some images:

http://www.noble.org/imagegallery/Woodhtml/WillowOak.html
Related Discussions
Oak Leaf Identification
Q
Comments (5)
1 picture left: 100% Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) 1 picture right: 100% Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) 2nd picture left: Northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) Others are between Black Oak, Northern Red Oak, and Scarlet Oak. Scarlet Oak is not native to WI but if you got some of them from planted trees one or two might be a Scarlet Oak.
...See More
Oak tree identification help
Q
Comments (8)
zone 6 covers a wide swath. It's helpful if you put something in your line, or at least the post, to let us know where you are located. Are these 'growing wild', or are they 'specimen' trees? could be Turkey oak, Q.cerris, if they're landscape trees, and not just 'wild natives'.
...See More
Oak Identification
Q
Comments (15)
Fascinating, lucky_p! I'm so glad you posted that because at a distance I thought the plaques looked 'shaggy', but it turned out that they were just heavily fissured. Now I can see where it would possibly go in that direction. ken_adrian, don't know exact age of this oak (it's on the property of my new veterinarian's office) but by the trunk size/height/canopy I'm assuming it's in the 50 year range give or take. Probably on the lesser side, but it's a good-size. If I have my directions down and from what's around it I'd also say it gets good strong sunlight for over half the day, but I'm not terribly sure. The Sweetgum next to it is columnar enough not to block too terribly much on that one side and the other side is clear. Ging
...See More
Oak tree identification
Q
Comments (4)
Sure looks like Bur oak but the acorns are much larger right now in N.Tx. I planted acorns in 1991 that came true and bear acorns larger than golf balls same as mother tree. I have Live Oak with 3 distintly different shaped leaves all grown with acorns from same tree, I have volunteers with lobed leaves similar to Bur except lobs arn't as deep and presist long after Burs have turned brown. Tree is much faster growing than typical volunteer Burs,twigs show no sign of wings and bark isn't as deeply furrowed as Bur. Only other oak within less than 1.5 miles are Shummard. Are the twigs winged on your NY tree?
...See More

Related Stories

WOOD Woodipedia: Make a Solid Choice With Oak

By Marci Crestani

Forget those low-end products of old. Red and white oak today are beautiful, versatile and relatively inexpensive

GARDENING GUIDES Celebrate Eastern Oaks for Wildlife, Longevity and Seasonal Interest

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

There might not be a more important tree to have in your eastern U.S. landscape — if you can fit one in

CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS Great Design Plant: Coast Live Oak

The stuff of legends and memories, this California tree is one to build a whole landscape around

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Cork Oak

By Annie Thornton

Witness an incredible renewable resource being grown while lolling in the abundant shade of this expansive, ever-popular tree

TREES Great Design Plant: Southern Live Oak Offers an Unbeatable Canopy

By Falon Mihalic

Keep it dense or prune it for more light. No matter how you grow Quercus virginiana, it’s a majestic addition to its native landscape

ADDITIONS Houzz Tour: Tree Respect Drives a Dynamic Modern Addition

Protecting a heritage oak calls for creative thinking, and this Texas home shows the successful result

GARDENING GUIDES Tree Care: Common Tree Diseases and What to Do About Them

By Falon Mihalic

Learn to recognize trees that may be affected by diseases or pests so you can quickly take action

KITCHEN OF THE WEEK Kitchen of the Week: Goodbye, Honey Oak — Hello, Minty Green

By Mitchell Parker

After more than 30 years, the Kloesels revamped their space to reflect their rural country town and Victorian-style home

FALL GARDENING 6 Trees You'll Fall For

By Therese Ciesinski

Don’t put down that spade! Autumn is the perfect time for planting these trees

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 8 Reasons to Plant a Great Tree

By June Scott Design

Beauty is its own reward, but the benefits of planting the right tree in the right place go way beyond looks

Sponsored

17 Reviews

The Leading Interior Design Studio in Franklin County

More Discussions

cold stratification?

1