Tree Description
Willow oaks are large trees growing to 90 feet tall with a trunk up to 3 feet in diameter. They have an open, rounded crown of slender green foliage, making a beautiful tree that is desirable for roadsides, lawns, and parks.
Range / Site Description
These trees occur naturally in East Texas west to the Brazos River on frequently-flooded bottomlands and along the borders of rivers and swamps.
Leaf
The leaves are simple and alternate, 2” to 5” long and ½” to ¾” wide. It is linear to lanceolate in shape with a bristle at the tip. The upper surface of the leaf is smooth, medium green, and shiny; the lower surface is smooth, light green, and dull. Leaves turn golden brown in the fall.
Flower & Fruit
Separate male and female flowers appear on the same tree in spring when the leaves begin to unfold. Male flowers are borne on a yellowish catkin, 2” to 3” long, and female flowers, less conspicuous, are clustered on a short stalk in the leaf axil.
The fruit is an acorn, hemispheric in shape, about ½” in diameter, light yellow-brown in color, and its base is scarcely enclosed in a shallow, greenish-brown cup. The fruit requires two years to mature.
Interesting Facts
Species Summary
| Scientific Name: | Quercus phellos |
| Secondary Names: | n/a |
| Tree Type: | Deciduous |
| Dimensions: | Height: 90 feet Trunk Diameter: 3 feet |
| Leaf Structure: | Simple, alternate |
| Leaf Size: | 2-5 inches long and ½-¾ inches wide |
| Leaf Shape: | Linear to lanceolate |
| Leaf Margin: | Entire |
| Additional Information: | iNaturalist – Willow Oak |
Source: Texas A&M Forest Service Trees of Texas – Willow Oak