Selecting Landscape Plants: Shade Trees

Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Large trees

• Maximum height
  80 feet
• Relative growth rate
  Poor
• Freedom from insect pests
  Good
• Freedom from disease problems
  Excellent
• Resistance to storm damage
  Excellent
• Will grow on poorly drained soil
  Poor
• Will grow in hot, dry areas
  Good
• Easy to transplant
  Poor
• Withstands city conditions
  Excellent

Although too large for most home landscapes, bur oak makes a majestic tree in a park setting. It is considered somewhat difficult to transplant but, once established, it tolerates urban conditions better than most oaks. Its large, fringed acorns are a novelty but may be a nuisance.