Quercus
The mighty oak tree certainly deserves it’s notoriety. As one of the oldest tree species, it has had plenty of time to dazzle us with it’s greatness. They stand tall and strong sometimes even through natural disasters that can wreak havoc on our landscapes. In the right conditions oak trees can live more than 100 years and can even double or triple that, making them a tree that families can make memories and share stories under for generations. Perhaps why the oak tree has long been worshiped by humans. From Greek and Roman mythology to Christianity, oak trees have commonly played a star roll. Likely for both it’s strength and spirit it’s no surprise why the oak was chosen to build the infamous Notre Dame Cathedral centuries ago.
Now trust me, I know what you’re thinking. “But what about all the mess of acorns?” We get it, we do. Something so majestic deserves to be replicated though, right? Well maybe, but typically we only want one or maybe two oak trees in our yard not an entire grove. Lucky for us, yet another special characteristic of this noble tree is that typically only one in every ten thousand acorns will actually produce another oak tree. While you may still need to clean up after them, so will wildlife! Oak trees are a fantastic food source for animals in the fall and winter. For any of you who enjoy our wreath making classes each winter consider rounding up some acorns to adorn your wreath with this year!
Oak trees are excellent shade trees. They have big leaves and a broad canopy. Their brilliant change of color each fall will stop you dead in your tracks. There are nearly 500 known oak species and we are lucky enough to have over 90 of those species growing here in North America. One of which was first discovered growing on the property of our favorite tree grower in the Willamette Valley! Proudly named after the Pacific Northwest, the Pacific Brilliance Pin Oak is a stunning tree that reaches a mature height of 50’ with a 25’ canopy.
