Quercus texana
Quercus texana is a deciduous oak that typically grows in wet, heavy, bottomland soils in floodplain forests in the Mississippi River valley from far western Kentucky, the southern tip of Illinois and the southeastern lowlands region of Missouri (the Bootheel) south to Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast from Alabama to Texas. It grows 50-80’ tall with a wide-spreading, rounded crown. Insignificant yellowish-green flowers in separate male and female catkins appear in spring shortly after the leaves emerge. Fruits are oval acorns (to 1¼” long) with scaly cups. Dark green leaves (4-8” long) are deeply divided into 6-11 spiny, pointed lobes. Axillary tufts of tomentum on the lower surface vein angles are distinctive. Gereral leaf shape is reminiscent of the closely related pin oaks and schumard oaks. Fall color comes late, but often includes quality shades of red. Q. texana as currently described is synonymous with and formerly known as Q. nuttallii, Q. nuttallii var. cachensis, Q. rubra var. texana, Q. shumardii var. microcarpa and Q. shumardii var. texana. Unfortunately, nomenclature and common names for this tree have become considerably confused over time.
Height: 30 to 75 feet
Spread: 25 to 50 feet
Crown uniformity: symmetrical canopy with a regular (or smooth) outline, and individuals have more or less identical crown form
Light requirement: tree grows in full sun
Soil tolerances: clay; loam; sand; acidic; alkaline; well-drained
Drought tolerance: high
Aerosol salt tolerance: none
Roots: surface roots are usually not a problem
Winter interest: tree has winter interest due to unusual form, nice persistent fruits, showy winter
trunk, or winter flowers
Outstanding tree: tree has outstanding ornamental features and could be planted more
Invasive potential: little, if any, potential at this time
Verticillium wilt susceptibility not known
Pest resistance: long-term health usually not affected by pest
Texas Red Oak has become popular in some areas but is utilized sparingly in others. It deserves wider use in most parts of its range due to urban adaptability. Planted on 30 to 40-foot-centers, it will form a closed canopy over a two-lane street in 20 to 25-years with good growing conditions. It makes a good street tree after some initial pruning to develop a central leader. Several leaders often develop in the nursery and when they are removed to develop one leader, the tree often looks very open and bare. Although this may be somewhat undesirable from an aesthetic standpoint, it creates a stronger tree which will provide a much longer service life than a multiple-leadered tree. The tree “fills in” as it grows older, forming a coarsely-branched, open interior. Once trained into a central leader this tree will require less pruning than Live Oak or Pin Oak, and may, therefore, require less maintenance as an urban tree. But it will not live as long as Live Oak.
Branches are more upright and will not grow down toward the ground as will Live, Water and Laurel Oak. Like other oaks, care must be taken to develop a strong branch structure early in the life of the tree. Be sure that main branches remain less than about half the diameter of the trunk to ensure proper development and longevity in the landscape. Be sure that these are removed periodically so that only one trunk remains.
Usually, no pests are serious. Galls cause homeowners much concern. There are many types and galls can be on the leaves or twigs. Most galls are harmless, so chemical controls are not suggested.
Scales of several types can usually be controlled with sprays of horticultural oil. Aphids cause distorted growth and deposits of honeydew on lower leaves. On large trees, naturally occurring predatory insects will often bring the aphid population under control. Boring insects are most likely to attack weakened or stressed trees. Newly planted young trees may also be attacked. Keep trees as healthy as possible with regular fertilization and water during dry weather.
Many caterpillars feed on Oak. Large trees tolerate some feeding injury without harm. Trees repeatedly attacked, or having some other problem, may need spraying. Tent caterpillars form nests in trees then eat the foliage. The nests can be pruned out when small. Where they occur, gypsy moth caterpillars are extremely destructive on Oaks.
Twig pruner causes twigs to drop off in the summer. The larvae ride the twig to the ground. Rake up and destroy fallen twigs. Lace bugs suck juices from leaves causing them to look dusty or whitish gray.
Leaf miners cause brown areas in leaves. To identify leaf miner injury, tear the leaf in two across the injury. If the injury is due to leaf miner, upper and lower leaf surfaces are separate and black insect excrement will be seen.
Diseases
Usually, no diseases are serious. Anthracnose may be a serious problem in wet weather. Infected leaves have dead areas following the midrib or larger veins. These light brown blotches may run together and, in severe cases, cause leaf drop. Trees of low vigor, repeatedly defoliated, may die. Trees defoliated several years in a row may need spraying, to allow the tree to recover.
Canker diseases attack the trunk and branches. Keep trees healthy by regular fertilization. Prune out diseased or dead branches. Leaf blister symptoms are round raised areas on the upper leaf surfaces causing depressions of the same shape and size on lower leaf surfaces. Infected areas are yellowish-white to yellowish-brown. The disease is most serious in wet seasons in the spring, but it does not need to be treated.
A large number of fungi cause leaf spots but are usually not serious. Rake up and dispose of infected leaves. Powdery mildew coats the leaves with white powdery growth.
Oak wilt is a fatal disease beginning with a slight crinkling and paling of the leaves. This is followed by leaf wilting and browning of leaf margins then working inward. The symptoms move down branches toward the center of the tree. Cut down and destroy infected trees. The disease may be spread by insects or pruning tools. The disease appears to infect Red, Black and Live Oaks particularly. Avoid pruning in late spring and early summer in areas where Oak wilt is present. Dormant or summer pruning is best. Shoestring root rot attacks the roots and once inside moves upward, killing the cambium. The leaves on infected trees are small, pale, or yellowed and fall early. There is no practical control. Healthy trees may be more resistant than trees of low vigor
Propagation of Seed – it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool overwinter but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown “in situ” (in the original place) will produce the best trees. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.
Ethnobotanical Information (Ethnobotany is the scientific study of the traditional knowledge and customs of a people concerning plants and their medical, religious, and other uses.)
Food or Forage Uses
Oaks yielding the best tasting acorns include white oak, live oak, and swamp chestnut oaks. Red oaks, turkey oaks and laurel oaks produce bitter acorns. Cream colored acorn meats taste best. Acorns with yellow or orange meat are bitter. Individual trees of the same species produce acorns with differing levels of palatability.
Seed – cooked. Up to 25mm long and wide, it can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc. or mixed with cereals for making bread. The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost. Either the whole seed can be used, or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder. It can take several days or even weeks to properly leach whole seeds, one method was to wrap them in a cloth bag and place them in a stream. Leaching the powder is quicker. A simple taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. The traditional method of preparing the seed was to bury it in boggy ground overwinter. The germinating seed was dug up in the spring when it would have lost most of its astringency. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.
Recipes
Medical Uses
Any galls produced on the tree are strongly astringent and can be used in the treatment of hemorrhages, chronic diarrhea, dysentery etc.
Other Uses
A mulch of the leaves repels slugs, grubs etc., though fresh leaves should not be used as these can inhibit plant growth. Oak galls are excrescences that are sometimes produced in great numbers on the tree and are caused by the activity of the larvae of different insects. The insects live inside these galls, obtaining their nutrient therein. When the insect pupates and leaves, the gall can be used as a rich source of tannin, that can also be used as a dyestuff. Wood – heavy, hard, strong, close grained. It weighs 57lb per cubic foot. An unbelievably valuable timber, it is used for lumber, flooring, furniture, veneers, cabinet making etc.
During periods of winter flooding, squirrels find a ready supply of acorns since many acorns remain on the tree into January. Acorns are favored by deer and also eaten by turkeys.