City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/41336
M ost urban foresters look for a number of specific characteristics when selecting large shade tree species for planting within their communities. Rapid establishment, fast growth rate, resistance to breakage, a strong dominant central leader, adaptability to a wide range of sites, resistance to insects/disease, and mini- mal pruning requirements are several examples. Over the span of our careers, through much trial and error, we search for those tree species that possess such qualities and perform well in our local climes. While few tree species display all of these desir- able traits, some come very close. Nuttall oak (Quercus nuttallii) is one large shade tree spe- cies that has proven itself over time and earned a permanent spot on this urban forester's annual planting list. Nuttall oak is native to North America and origi- nated in the Gulf Coast region of the Mississippi River Valley from Florida to southeast Texas, north into Arkansas, southeast Oklahoma, Missouri, and western Tennessee. This tree thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. It reaches a mature size of 60-80 feet (18.3-24.4 m) in height by 30-40 feet (9.1-12.2 m) in width; it has the potential to exceed heights of 100 feet (30.5 m). Nuttall oak may be planted in full sun in a wide range of soil types and is very tolerant of wet, poorly drained sites. During the growing season, new growth has a red to burgundy color. Foliage matures to a lustrous dark green, later changing to russet red in the fall, followed by a clean leaf drop. Nuttall oak is commonly mistaken for pin oak (Q. palustris) or Shumard oak (Q. shumardii) based on foliage and appearance. However, one thing is unmistakable: Nuttall oak consistently outper- forms its brethren in the field. It displays supe- rior site tolerance, adaptability, and growth, while maintaining a strong central leader with minimal pruning. For the most part, pest problems are limited to occasional spider mite or scale infesta- tions on trees planted in tough sites. Nuttall oaks (Quercus nuttallii) on Savannah, Georgia's historic River Street • Photo by Bill Haws www.urban-forestry.com Nuttall oak foliage • Photo by Bill Haws Popularity of Nuttall oak with nurserymen has grown considerably since the early 1990s; nowa- days, it is readily available in wholesale nurser- ies. In Savannah, Georgia, Nuttall oaks have been planted since 1996 and their potential for use in urban areas has been realized. They are very well suited to the Southeast's coastal low country region, where extended droughts are sometimes followed by torrential, flooding rains. New trees originally planted as 2-inch (51-mm) caliper stock in 1996 have now grown in excess of 18 inches (45.7 cm) DBH and 40 feet (12.2 m) in height—an impressive growth rate in a span of only fifteen years! —Bill Haws, Forestry Administrator, City of Savannah Park & Tree Department, Savannah, Georgia. —Bill Haws, Forestry Administrator for the City of Savannah Park & Tree Department, Savannah, Georgia 39