- Oak trees can be either deciduous or evergreen. Some of the most prized species of oaks are large evergreens that grow in hot or dry climates, often providing much needed shade throughout the year. The live oak of the southeastern United States and the cork oak of Spain and Portugal are two evergreen trees noted for the generous shade that forms underneath a canopy of the hard, shiny evergreen leaves. Many North American oaks are deciduous, but because of their large size, they can still provide much needed shade.
- Not all oaks are tall majestic plants capable being a shade tree. In very arid places, all plants tend to be smaller and have many ecological adaptions for conserving water and reflecting heat. Dry site oaks such as the Gambel oak, shrub live oak, leather oak and desert scrub oak are samples of small xeric site trees that will never make a good shade tree.
- Many tall deciduous oaks with a large spreading canopy grow in wetter sites. Abundant moisture allows the tree to grow tall quickly, producing a large shade area. The white oak, swamp white oak and water oak are large oaks that grow well on wet sites, as long there is no standing water. In other locales such as dry Appalachian ridges, a whole different series of oaks might be considered for planting. At the head of this list you might find the chestnut, scarlet or shingle oak.
On the prairie grasslands of the Great Plains states, grasslands persist in areas with less than 30 inches of annual rain. Islands of trees form naturally, usually with a large presence of bur oaks. Take a hint from Mother Nature and plant a bur oak as a shade tree. Post and blackjack oaks can also be planted in such places. - Longevity of some of the oaks goes a long way in making this kind of tree an excellent choice for a shade tree. In extreme cases such as the English oak, individual trees can live for a thousand years. More often, mature oak trees will hang around the planet from 200 to 500 years. Fortunately, the long-lived oaks have a shape that also makes for a good shade tree. And then there are large long-lived oaks that survive on either wet or dry sites. Only in the very dry climate of a desert will the horticulturist or gardener find a hard time growing a shade oak. Even in New Mexico it is recommended by the NM master Gardeners that homeowners plant either a Shumard, Chinquapin or valley oak for shade. The valley oak also has a strong tolerance for cold.
- One of the main considerations in planting an oak tree concerns its susceptibility to diseases. For this reason you might want to avoid red and pin oaks because of their susceptibility to oak wilt. Another fungal infection that can cause problems is oak leaf anthracnose.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -