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| ## willow oak {#willow-oak .Title-Header}                             |
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| *Quercus phellos* L.                                                  |
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| Plant Symbol = QUPH                                                   |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

![Color image of Willow Oak (Quercus
phellos)](media/image2.jpeg){width="3.0in" height="2.0in"}

**Alternate Names**

peach oak

##### Uses {#uses .Header-3}

*Erosion Control*: Willow oak is a good tree species to plant along
margins of fluctuating-level reservoirs.

*Wildlife*: Its acorn is relished by game animals and birds such as
ducks, squirrels, deer, and turkey, blue jays and red-headed
woodpeckers. Grackles, flickers, mice and flying squirrels utilize the
tree itself.

*Timber*: The wood is used for lumber, crossties, construction and pulp.

*Recreation and Beautification*: Willow oak is widely planted as an
ornamental and shade tree.

##### Status {#status .Header-3}

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status (e.g. threatened or endangered
species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

##### Description {#description .Header-3}

*Quecus phellos* L., willow oak grows mainly in bottomlands of the
Coastal Plain from New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania south to
Georgia and northern Florida; west to eastern Texas; and north in the
Mississippi Valley to southeastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, southeastern
Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Kentucky and western Tennessee.

Willow oak is a medium to large-sized tree that grows up to over 100
feet tall, with a trunk 3 to 6 feet in diameter. It has thick, smooth,
light-reddish bark when young; which becomes roughened and divided into
narrow ridges on older trees. The leaves are simple, alternate,
deciduous, elongated and slender, with smooth edges; they are light
green and shiny above, dull and paler below with distinct venation. The
small, round, brown acorns are usually produced singly or in pairs with
a shallow, saucer-shaped cap. The overlapping scales that make up the
cap are thin, hairy, and dark red. There are about 462 acorns per pound.

##### Adaptation and Distribution {#adaptation-and-distribution .Header-3}

Willow oak is well adapted to moist, well-drained, acid soils and full
sun or light shade. For a current distribution map, please consult the
Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Website.

##### Establishment {#establishment .Header-3}

Natural regeneration is principally through sprouts from stumps of small
trees and advance reproduction. Larger diameter stumps do not sprout
readily.

Willow oaks may be established by planting acorns. Acorns collected in
the fall may be sown immediately or kept in cold storage until spring.
The seedbed must be kept moist, well-aerated with an inch or more of
leaf litter. Seedlings are very intolerant of saturated soil except
during dormancy. Although only moderately tolerant to shade, seedlings
may persist for years under a forest canopy, continually dying back and
resprouting.

One to two year old bareroot plants may also be used for field
plantings.

##### Management {#management .Header-3}

Thinning of a stand of trees may be necessary to encourage development
of larger willow oaks.

Willow oak's principal enemy is fire. Seedlings and saplings are readily
killed by even a light burn; hot fires kill larger trees. Canker
infected trees should be removed immediately both to salvage the log and
to protect other trees.

##### Pests and Potential Problems {#pests-and-potential-problems .Header-3}

Trees wounded by fire are susceptible to butt rot fungi. A common canker
is caused by *Polyporus hispidus*. Common trunk borers considered as
serious insect pests are the red oak borer (*Enaphalodes rufulus*),
carpenterworm (*Prionoxystus robiniae*), and living-beech borer (*Goes
pulverulentus*). Willow oak is susceptible to acid rain.

##### Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) {#cultivars-improved-and-selected-materials-and-area-of-origin .Header-3}

Seeds and seedlings are commercially available at forest seed companies.

##### Prepared By & Species Coordinator: {#prepared-by-species-coordinator .Header-3}

Lincoln Moore, USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA

##### 

##### Edited: 05Feb2002 JLK; 060816 jsp {#edited-05feb2002-jlk-060816-jsp .Header-4}

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

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