Willow Oak

Quercus phellos L.

         

             

All photographs are copyrighted and are the property of E. Brunner.

Family:  Fagaceae

Native or Introduced to Illinois:  native 

Natural Habit in Illinois:  along streams; around lakes and ponds

Leaf:  The leaves are simple, alternate, deciduous, elongated and slender, with smooth edges; they are light green and shiny above, dull and paler below with distinct venation. 

Flower:  Brown, faded flower color.

Fruit:  The small, round, brown acorns are usually produced singly or in pairs with a shallow, saucer-shaped cap.  The overlapping scales that make up the cap are thin, hairy, and dark red.  There are about 462 acorns per pound.

Bark/Twig:  It has thick, smooth, light-reddish bark when young; which becomes roughened and divided into narrow ridges on older trees. 

Size/Form/Shape:  Willow oak is a medium to large-sized tree that grows up to over 100 feet tall, with a trunk 3 to 6 feet in diameter.

Other:  Erosion Control: Willow oak is a good tree species to plant along margins of fluctuating-level reservoirs.

 Wildlife: Its acorn is relished by game animals and birds such as ducks, squirrels, deer, and turkey, blue jays and red-headed woodpeckers.  Grackles, flickers, mice and flying squirrels utilize the tree itself.

 Timber: The wood is used for lumber, crossties, construction and pulp.

 Recreation and Beautification: Willow oak is widely planted as an ornamental and shade tree.

County Distribution Map for Illinois:  

Sources for the Sullivan Middle School Tree Identification Guide were obtained though the use of the following sites:

• Illinois Plant Information Network (ILPIN) @ http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/delaware/ilpin/ilpin.html#Background
• List of Woody Plants Native or Naturalized in Illinois @ http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/woody.html
• Tree Species @ http://ostermiller.org/tree/species.html
• Index to Eastern/Central Trees @ http://www.arborday.org/trees/ECtreelist.html
• ISU Forestry Extension Identification of Common Trees of Iowa @ http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/tree/
• Key to Leaves of Virginia Trees @ http://www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/forsite/key/intro.htm
• List of Native Trees for Use Along Roadsides in Illinois @ http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/treetable.html
• The PLANTS Database @ http://plants.usda.gov/

The information below is from the National Arbor Day Foundation.  This information can be viewed in the original (source) form by visiting The National Arbor Day Foundation at http://www.arborday.org.

GROWING REQUIREMENTS/RATE
Sun Exposure:  This oak does well in Full sun.
Soil Type:  The Willow Oak grows in acidic, loamy, moist, clay, sandy, wet, well-drained soils. This tree is drought tolerant.
Moisture:  Normal moisture requirement, but with some drought tolerance.
Growth Rate:  This tree grows at a medium growth rate.

Hardiness Zones: 5 - 9
This oak can be expected to grow in the zones shown in color in the arborday.org zone map.