Oregon White Oak

The Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana) is a large-sized native shade tree. It has a rounded, spreading crown and ascending branches with a large main trunk along with distinctively large, crooked branching trunks. When growing in open sites, the canopy may be as wide as the tree is tall. The leaves are large and dark green with rounded lobes that turn brown with gold tints in the fall or sometimes a mild red. It also produces sharply pointed acorns in the fall that are one-third enclosed by the cup. This tree provides abundant winter interest with its elegant form and giant branching trunks with bark that is light gray and thickly furrowed and ridged.  

The Oregon White Oak is native to western British Columbia down to Washington, Oregon, and northern California. It is found growing in the wild on dry, rocky slopes and open savannahs. It makes a great shade tree in parks and large, spacious yards where its crown has room to spread. This tree is a beautiful addition to the landscape with its intricate, large, spreading branching habit. It is adaptable to a wide range of soils including wet conditions in the spring and dry conditions in the summer. It does best in full sun.