OTHER COMMON NAMES: none we could come up with.
BOTANICAL NAME: Quercus x comptoniae
PRONUNCIATION: KWER-kus COMP-tun-eye
FAMILY: Fagaceae (Beech Family)
TYPE: Evergreen shade tree. Zone 5-9.
HEIGHT: 50 to 70 feet
SPREAD: 50 to 70 feet
FINAL SPACING: 30 to 50 feet
NATURAL HABITAT AND PREFERRED SITE: Grows successfully in many soils (except standing water) but prefers pH of 4.5- 6.5. Is growing well in the alkaline soils of Dallas but I have not been able to grow overcup oak in our high pH soils..
IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION: Dramatically beautiful evergreen tree with a wide rounded head. Limbs tend to dip and sweep in all the way to the ground unless trimmed away. Single and multi-stemmed trees exist.
FLOWERS AND FRUIT: Rust colored male flowers that hang from the terminal growth in the early spring along with female flowers that bloom singly or in clusters. Fruits are large acorns that are loved by wildlife.
BARK: Smooth and gray or off white when young, becoming heavily textured and dark with age.
FOLIAGE: 4 – 8” long lobed evergreen leaves that vary considerably in shape and size.
CULTURE: Easy to establish and easy to grow. It responds well to ample moisture and fertilizer but over fertilization can bring on various pest problems including root fungal diseases.
PROBLEMS: Aphids, ice damage and galls are occasional problems.
PROPAGATION: All oaks are grown from seed as soon as they are released from the trees in the fall.
INSIGHT: This is a white oak hybrid of live oak and overcup oak. Overcup parentage allows Compton to be grown on poorer sites than live oak. It can be grown further north than Live Oak, however, becomes less evergreen the further north that it is planted. Vigorous growth and shape make Compton an excellent landscape tree.