The swamp white oak tree, (Quercus bicolor), is a large shade tree that you might find in a local park or on a larger landscape because of its size. The swamp white oak, which grows best in full sunlight, can reach nearly 60 feet tall when fully mature and a canopy spread of 50 feet.
A cultivar of the white oak, the leaves on a swamp white oak first appear in spring as grayish-green in color then turn dark green over time, and coppery-bronze before leaf drop in the fall. The tree bears flowers and fruit, which may require a bit more cleanup in the landscape during peak season.
The swamp white oak is a slow-growth tree. If properly maintained and cared for under the best conditions, this tree species can live to be 300 years old, or more, so it’s definitely among the contenders for heritage or historically significant trees.
Bottom line, it’s a wonderful tree for those looking to add a beautiful oak to their landscape, as it does better in urban environments than most other oak species.
- Size: 60′
- Height: 50′ spread
- Zones: 4 through 8
- Pruning: Dormant season to avoid oak wilt
- Pest/Disease:
- Powdery mildew
- Insect galls
- Anthracnose
By Liné1 (Picture taken with my IXUS 800 IS (own work)) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
