38 City Trees
Regal Prince is the trademark name for Quercus x warei
'Long', a narrow, upright hybrid of fastigiate English oak
(Quercus robur f. fastigiata) and swamp white oak (Quercus
bicolor). Its leaves are clearly intermediate in shape and
are glossy and leathery like those of swamp white oak. In
Ithaca, New York, Nina Bassuk and Andy Hillman first plant
-
ed Regal Prince in 2005, and the oaks have performed well
there ever since.
"It's a good tree for tight spaces—not a shade tree as such,"
says Cornell Urban Horticulture Institute Director Bassuk.
"It has the shape of the fastigiate English oak but is more
tolerant of poor drainage and is mildew resistant, unlike Q.
robur. It also tolerates a higher pH than does straight Q.
Foliage of Regal Prince oak • Photo by itrees.com
Tree of Merit: Regal Prince Oak (Quercus x warei)
bicolor. During last summer's drought its foliage stayed green
throughout so it appears both wet and dry tolerant (after
establishment of course)."
As oaks go, Regal Prince grows fast and can reach 50 feet tall
(15 m) by 20 feet (6 m) wide. It is hardy to USDA Zone 4 and
is wind and ice resistant. Use as a specimen or in small groups
as a screen.
—Michelle Sutton, City Trees Editor
Regal Prince oaks alongside the main thoroughfare in
Ithaca, New York. Photo by Nina Bassuk
Regal Prince moving towards maturity. Photo courtesy
Missouri Botanical Garden
