How Fast Does A Willow Oak Tree Grow (All About It)
Willow oak tree, which is scientifically called Quercus Phellos is a very famous specimen with a medium growth rate. This is a common reason why you can frequently spot their attractive species on the roadsides and wide parks.
It is a very unique oak tree in contrast to other oak species because of its commercial application and shade bearing foliage. Are you interested in knowing how fast does a willow oak grow? Continue reading below…
- The Growth Rate Of A Willow Oak
- How To Identify A Willow Oak Tree?
- Fact Or Myth: Willow Oaks Are Fast-Growing Oak Trees
- Willow Oak Tree Pros and Cons
- Willow, Live, Or Water Oak; Which Oak Would Be Best In Your Garden?
The Wonderful Willow Oak
Here, let us check out some of willow oak’s most significant characteristics.
Willow oak hardiness zone – These stunning trees can flourish well in USDA Zones 5 or 9.
Willow Tree – Quercus Phellos are handsome willow trees native to the Central and Eastern areas of the USA. It is a specimen of the beech family and known for its long lifespan, endurance, and deciduous characteristics.
Immature Willow oak trees are usually pyramid-shaped and as they mature their branches grow wide with a uniform spread. At the bottom, you can see their branches dropping towards the ground.
Willow Leaf – These trees feature long and slender bright green leaves. They are lance or pear-shaped with bristled ends. The leaves also have smooth and lush green blades. These green leaves change color to yellow or russet in the fall season. The leaves mature to a length of about one inch wide.
Willow Bark – In young willow trees, you can spot an evenly textured bark with red and brown colors. On the other hand, mature willow bark has a surface that is scaled, shallowly fissured, coarsely textured, and grey in color.
Willow Lifespan – How fast does a willow oak tree grow to mature? Well, an average lifespan of a willow oak tree is 75 years. But under ideal conditions, some of its species can even live for over 100 years. Do check out how long do oak trees live.
Willow Oak Fruit – These trees bear small and edible fruits known as acorns. They are dark brown and appear round or barrel-like shape. The willow oak acorns are 8 mm long and 12 mm wide.
You can identify them by their shallow and saucer-shaped cap. One-third of the nut is covered by its watery cups. These trees attract much different wildlife because of their edible acorns.
How To Identify A Willow Oak Tree?
Willow oak is a magnificent tree with many popular names like peach oak, swamp oak, etc. These trees feature crown-shaped branches spreading outwards. It appears like a cone while growing and becoming rounded as it ages.
It’s easier to identify a willow oak tree by its acorns, bark, leaves, and growth habit. It follows a moderate-growing habit and develops into a beautiful shade-offering tree. Check out how oak trees grow on an average annually.
The willow oak tree has fissured bark, and smooth and bristled leaves, with tapering at the ends. It also has cracked bark with tiny dark brown acorns oval-shaped. In spring you can notice blazing green willow oak leaves while in summers the color shifts to red, brown, bronze, yellow, and orange.
Willow Oaks Are Fast-Growing Oak Trees – Fact or Myth?
Most people often wonder, how fast does a willow oak tree grow. Is it a myth or fact that willow oaks grow quickly?
Well! Willow oak trees can grow pretty well if you grow them under suitable conditions. When you take care of a young willow tree and water them properly, it can reach a great height.
Willow oaks have a moderate to a quick growth rate of 2 feet in a single year. These trees develop to a good height in all kinds of moist and acidic soils. The plant thrives best in full exposure to sunlight. It grows to a large size which might not be suitable for urban establishments.
On the bright side, this tree is tolerant of drought and has no serious insect or pest problems to deal with. They need little care; all you need to do is take care of these oak trees when they are young and not so well established. Proper watering and good soil would do the trick.
An understanding of how fast does a willow oak grow will help you to manage the tree from a young age to adulthood.
Willow Oak Tree Pros and Cons
Willow oaks are admired by many people when seen in open public areas. No other oak variety can beat this shade tree for its easy-to-manage and beautiful characteristics.
But since there are many delightful advantages of planting these trees there are a few disadvantages as well. Here, take a look:
- At a young age, willow oak trees require a lot of water to grow beautifully. As a result, they often steal moisture from the surrounding flora in their space.
- Being a fast-growing variety, willow oaks can easily extract nutrients from the soil. It happens so quickly that the soil takes time to replenish with nutrients leaving a bad impact on local plants.
- In fall, these trees shed out their leaves and drop acorns which can attract many irritating rodents.
- These are giant trees that require appropriate space to grow. That is why it may not be always appropriate to plant these trees in your garden or house outdoor area.
In any case, it’s true that willow oaks are certainly versatile trees with endurance towards strong winds and are easily managed. It can be a perfect addition to your home garden.
Willow, Live Or Water Oak; Which Oak Would Be Best In Your Garden?
Oaks are popular trees during the fall season because of their longevity and quick-growing nature. But when it comes to picking an oak tree for your garden, you must know there are some options that you might consider.
Live Oak: Nearly everyone likes Live oak trees for their dark and shiny leaves which are half evergreen. What makes it more beautiful are its graceful branches which have a habit of sweeping low as the tree matures.
These trees can grow to a massive size and flaunt their beauty, durability, and resistance to decay. It can reach a height of 60 ft and beautifully spread around 75 to 100 feet. These trees need to be pruned more frequently to support their upright growing habit.
Water Oak: These are the fast-growing kind of oak trees with the shortest lifespan. These are beautiful trees that grow from their seedlings. They can reach a massive height of 60-80 feet and spread about 40 feet. These can be cool shade trees but they are not much desirable because of their nature of breaking and decaying in just about 60 years.
Willow Oak: These species deserve to be planted more by homeowners. It is because of their unique appearance. When their leaves fall, it tends to self-decay, which makes them the neatest variety of oak trees.
Q. What is the biggest willow oak?
A. The largest willow oak can be found in Maryland in Kent County. As per the survey done in 2010, this tree has a massive height of 105 feet and a wide diameter of 89.5 inches. It also has a huge crown spreading about 119.5 feet.
Q. What is Willow oak’s lifespan?
A. These shade trees can grow quickly and live for more than 100 years.
Q. How is the Willow oak root system?
A. These trees are really easy to transplant with a fibrous and shallow root system.
Q. How tall is the Willow oak height?
A. These trees can grow to an incredible height of 40-60’ with a spread of 30-40’.
Q. Willow oak vs. pin oak: how do they compare?
A. Pin oak trees are highly durable and hard with excellent cooling properties. Also, willow oak is durable when in touch with soil and moisture. That’s why pin oak works as excellent firewood than willow oaks, while willow oak is used for cricket bats and other utility items.Also, willow oaks grow slightly taller than pin oaks.
Q. Are willow oak roots invasive?
A. No, they are not invasive as they are fibrous. Also, you can easily transplant them without bothering about any insect problems.
Q. Are there any Willow oak tree problems?
A. These are highly desirable trees that can easily flourish in salt, clay, compacted soil, and even with poor drainage. They don’t invite any serious problems like pest issues. However, they might suffer from diseases such as leaf spots, mildew, and blisters, if not cared for.
To Sum Up…
So, to conclude we can say that willow oaks have a pretty decent (moderate) growth rate of up to 2 feet each year. Why it is needed to know how fast does a willow oak grow. It is important to understand this because sometimes we plant a tree hoping to mature in 3-4 years.
But that does not happen and disappoints us. When you know about a plants growth rate, you can patiently sit and care for your tree.