OAKS FOR ORNAMENTAL PLANTING 



463 



ists. It is represented by large growing species in the 

 regions more favorable for tree growth, and in the drier 

 parts of the country it is represented in the chaparral by 

 dwarf kinds. The same species may take on diliferent 

 forms under different conditions. For example, the coast 

 live oak of California, which is an entirely different tree 

 from the live oak of the southeastern states, ordinarily 

 attains a large size, but on the wind swept coast near 

 Monterey Bay, California, it forms wedge-shaped bushes 

 or small trees, with the sharp edge of the wedge towards 

 the ocean from whence the strong winds come. The lower 

 limbs on this side will be on the ground possibly almost 

 buried by sand. 

 The next limbs 

 above will be 

 somewhat 

 shorter and 

 most of their 

 growth will be 

 in the lee of the 

 bottom limbs. 

 On the other 

 side of the tree 

 the growth 

 more nearly re- 

 sembles an or- 

 dinary tree. 



A 1 1 h o u gh 

 most American 

 oaks are decid- 

 .uous there are 

 also evergreen 

 and part ever- 

 green species. 

 The live oak of 

 the southeast- 

 ern United 

 States and the 

 valley oak and 

 the coast live 

 oak of Califor- 

 nia are ever- 

 green. The 

 laurel oak is 

 p r a c t i c ally 

 evergreen near 



the Gulf of Mexico but becomes deciduous farther north. 

 The willow oak holds its leaves well into the winter in the 

 states near the Gulf of Mexico, but drops its leaves early 

 in the neighborhood of Washington and Louisville. 



Of American trees the oak is one of the most worthy 

 of consideration because of its strength, beauty and gen- 

 eral worth. The white oak is widely distributed through- 

 out the eastern two-thirds of the United States and is 

 throughout its range a notably handsome and useful tree. 

 In the coastal plain region from Norfolk to Galveston the 

 name oak suggests first of all the live oak, which is quite 

 different in form and general appearance from the white 



THE BLACK OAK 



This oak is difficult to distinguish from the red oak. They are similiar in other respects 

 and the black can be used under the same conditions as the red, and will give the same 

 service. 



oak, and yet gives the same impression of strength and 

 dignity. In California the valley oak occupies a similar 

 place to that occupied by the white oak and live oak in 

 other parts of the country. Specimens of all these trees 

 reach a large size. A white oak in the Friends' grave- 

 yard, at Salem, New Jersey, has a spread of branches of 

 123 feet. The Hooker Oak, at Chico, California, a speci- 

 men of the valley oak, has a spread of 130 feet and a girth 

 of 27 feet. Live oaks of about the same size may be seen 

 in Audubon Park, New Orleans, Louisiana, and in other 

 parts of the Southern States. 



For purposes of discussion oaks divide themselves 



roughly into 

 four rather dis- 

 t i n c t groups : 

 First, those 

 with large 

 leaves and 

 rounded lobes 

 as exemplified 

 by the white 

 oak ; second, 

 those with large 

 leaves and 

 prickles on the 

 ends of the 

 lobes as exem- 

 ])lified by the 

 red oak and pin 

 oak. Both of 

 these groups 

 are widely dis- 

 t r i b u t e d 

 throughout the 

 eastern half of 

 the country. 

 The third 

 group are those 

 trees with small 

 leaves and 

 mostly smooth 

 edges as exem- 

 plified by the 

 live oak and the 

 willow o a k, 

 while the 

 fourth group includes the California oaks, the valley oak 

 and the coast live oak. 



The young leaves on the oaks were in most places this 

 abnormally early season, large enough so that the form 

 could be recognized. It was, therefore, a good time for 

 those interested in studying the oaks, or those desirous of 

 selecting a satisfactory tree for fall planting, to try to 

 learn to distinguish the different kinds growing in their 

 locality. As a help in this direction characteristic leaves 

 of a few kinds are illustrated. 



As already stated the white oak probably heads the list 

 of desirable trees to plant, not because it is a better tree 



