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Willow Oak

Deciduous tree with rounded crown of many slender branches ending in very slender pinlike twigs. Native of eastern U.S. from New Jersey to Florida to east Texas.

Scientific Name:

Quercus phellos

Mature Height:

50 - 80'

Mature Spread:

35 - 65'

Leaves:

Narrowly oblong lance shaped light green leaves turning pale yellow in fall. Leaves persist in winter.

Flowers:

Inconspicuous.

Fruit:

Bears 3/8 - 1/2" nearly round acorns starting at approximately 20 years of age.

Root System:

No surface roots.

Growth Rate:

Moderate, but depends on site.

Cultural Notes:

Adaptable to many soils. Tolerant of poor drainage and hardpan.

Sacramento Specimen:

CSUS

William Land Park, perimeter of parking lot near the golf clubhouse.

Minimum Planting Distances

• from SMUD pad mounted equipment (such as a transformer mounted on a concrete pad): 8 feet
• from a building foundation: 15 feet
• from walks and driveways: 8 feet
• from an air conditioner: 8 feet
• from a fence: 6 feet
• from a utility offset (such as an underground line, pipe or cable): 6 feet
• from a utility overhead (such as an overhead power line): 30 feet
• from a swimming pool: 15 feet
• from a septic system: 15 feet
• between trees*: 25 feet

* To calculate the planting distance between different size trees, add the distances between each species in the column and divide answer in half. Example: the distance between a Red Maple (large tree) and Amur Maple (small tree) is calculated: 25 feet + 15 feet = 40 feet ÷ 2 = 20 feet. The distance between these two different size trees should be 20 feet.