Easy Love but hard to find Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii) is an easy fast growing and long lived shade tree. She is a member of the wonderful red oak family but almost “forever young” in habit and lack of nut production.
She holds on to her youthfully slim shape and waits till she is of legal age (21 or older) before she even thinks of starting a family! Even the acorns are less of a problem than some other nut producing trees since her acorns need two years to mature before they drop!
Her glorious spreading “crown” or upper growth/leaf canopy comes along only with the advancement of age. By the time she is giving thought to her retirement years, her investment in crown growth has begun to pay off in respectability. Frequently a mature Shumard oak specimen is so notable that her only real competition comes from the magnificent Burr Oak.
As for bark and foliage, Shumard oak dresses with flawless good taste. She retains her youthful luminous gray pin-striped silk textured bark for years till the inevitable furrows develop. This is the first tell-tale sign of her age.
Her glossy well lobed forest green leaves are attractive all season but as Autumn begins her color parade, this oak’s foliage gets her a pass to front of the line. Her leafy tresses of henna red and burnished copper with bruised purple undertones will slow rush hour traffic if given the chance!
She is native to central and southern Missouri. Her fondness for periodically wet/dry cycles makes her a perfect choice for low spots in the landscape. She has no problems dealing with occasionally waterlogged soils or stopping erosion.
She naturally likes clay soil. She is a good choice for shading man-made or natural occurring stream beds or creating a backdrop for beautiful rain gardens.
She is energy conscious and adaptable too! She is well employed as the shade queen of outdoor living spaces as well as the nuturing mother of some pretty edgy offspring. Shumard oaks are sometimes found thriving on dry and rocky hillsides-particularly ones with a view!
(photo credit to Kansas City's Botanical Garden Powell Gardens /Alan Branhagan)
Care Factor Rating: 1 This oak must be watered regularly till established and occassionally during excessively long drought periods. She does not require pruning when given adequate space!. The acorns are not produced before maturity, usually after 20 years or more. Also they take two years to mature and drop. Remove only the occasional damaged or dead branch any time of the year.
For other reliable fall color choices check out: Hackberry, Black Gum, Ginko, Serviceberry, Hickory, Witchhazel, Rusty Blackhaw Virburnum, Spicebush. Some crab apples and even dogwood color up very well!)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment