"Mighty
oaks from little acorns grow," and Reed has several mighty oaks. Many
of our species were chosen specifically for their fall colors. Oaks are
among the most useful and important native trees of the United States.
Quercus coccinea
Scarlet Oak
The Scarlet Oak grows 70 to 75 feet in height by 40 to 50 feet in
width and as much as 100 feet in the wild. Foliage is a glossy dark
green in summer, changing to scarlet in the fall, with 5-7 bristle
tipped lobes. Native range extends from Maine to Florida, west to
Minnesota and Arizona. This tree needs full sun and good drainage
to do well.
Quercus garryana
Oregon White Oak
Also known as the Garry Oak, this tree's typically gnarled branches
produce a beautiful, rounded outline in winter. It can easily live
to 500 years. Leaves are dark green, and the autumn color is usually
light brown. The Oregon White Oak is the most abundant and widely
distributed oak in Oregon, and it is the only native oak found in
eastern Oregon. The famous botanist David Douglas discovered this
tree and named it for his friend Nicholas Garry of the Hudson's
Bay Company.
Quercus palustris
Pin Oak
A deciduous oak native to central and eastern U.S., it has moderate
to fairly rapid growth to 80-100 feet. It has a slender and pyramidal
form when young, open and round-headed at maturity. Lower branches
tend to droop almost to the ground, but frequently they are cut
off. Glossy, dark green leaves, with deep sinuses and bristle-pointed
lobes, have brown tufts of hair on the underside near the veins.
Foliage turns to a showy scarlet in the fall.
Quercus rubra
Northern Red Oak
The Northern Red Oak is native to the entire eastern half of the
United States except the deep South. It grows to as much as 75 feet
in height. Leaves are a dark green in the summer, and they turn
red in the fall.
Quercus velutina
Black Oak
This tree reaches 50 to 60 feet in height, and the spread is variable.
The crown is often quite irregular: it can be narrow or wide-spreading,
elongated or rounded. The leaves are shiny dark green in the summer,
turning a beautiful red in the fall. They are large with 7 to 11
pointed lobes. It is a tree native from Maine to Florida, west to
Minnesota and Texas. One of the black oaks on the Reed campus has
been designated a Portland Heritage Tree.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)