Oregon White Oak

Easy to Maintain

Native to pacific northwest

Valuable to wildlife

Drought Tolerant

Characteristics:
Large, Pacific Northwest native oak with beautiful form. Deciduous tree, broadly spreading, rounded crown. Oregon White Oak is drought tolerant and fire-resistant; it thrives in drier environments where smaller wildfires are common.

Growing Conditions:
Slower growing. A great summer shade tree for a sunny location. Can tolerate seasonal flooding but prefers drier soil in summer.

Uses:
Beautiful native tree. Western gray squirrel dependent on this native species for food. Host plant for butterflies: Propertius duskywing and California sister.

Height:
50' at maturity

Width:
50' at maturity

Shape:
Rounded crown with stout limbs and complex branching pattern when mature.

Flowers:
Both male and female flowers are tiny and inconspicuous and appear before leaves in spring.

Leaves:
Glossy, dark green, round lobed leaves. In autumn, color is a golden brown, occasionally tinted yellow or red.

Bark:
Light gray and shaggy.

More Information:
Oregon oak and associated habitats, such as oak savanna and prairie, are part of a diminishing ecosystem that was actively managed by Native Americans in our region for thousands of years. Oregon white oak woodlands are today in drastic decline — they represent only 15% of their historic range. The trees are magnificent and support a multitude of wildlife such as the acorn woodpecker, the slender-billed nuthatch and the Western gray squirrel, as well as hundreds of species of insects, including pollinators, which provide food for birds and wildlife. Even isolated mature, or “granny” oak trees in farm fields are important oases for birds (a documented 47 species) and other wildlife, providing food, shelter and nesting sites. (Source: West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District)