Willow oak

Appearance

It is a medium-sized tree growing to 20–30 metres tall , with a trunk up to 1–1.5 m diameter . It is distinguished from most other oaks by its leaves, which are shaped like willow leaves, 5–12 cm long and 1–2.5 cm broad with an entire margin; they are bright green above, paler beneath, usually hairless but sometimes downy beneath. The fruit is an acorn, 8–12 mm long, and almost as wide as long, with a shallow cup; it is one of the most prolific producers of acorns, an important food tree for squirrels, birds, and other animals in the forest. The tree starts acorn production around 15 years of age, earlier than many oak species.


Willow oaks can grow moderately fast , and tend to be conic to oblong when young, rounding out and gaining girth at maturity .

Uses

Economic uses are primarily as an ornamental tree and the wood for pulp and paper production, but also for lumber; it is often marketed as "red oak" wood.

The willow oak is one of the most popular trees for horticultural planting, due to its rapid growth, hardiness, balance between axial and radial dominance, ability to withstand both sun and shade, light green leaf color and full crown. Despite being massively planted in the U.S. South around malls, along roads, etc., the trees tend to grow larger than planners expect, which often leads to cracked sidewalks.