← Bedfellow

Willow Oak

Quercus phellos

A fast-growing oak with slender, willow-like leaves and a neat oval crown, prized as a street and shade tree. Heavy acorn crops feed ducks, jays, and squirrels.

Family

Fagaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

40–75 ft

Spacing

25–50 ft apart

Light

part shade

Soil moisture

moist, wet

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

March, April, May

Bloom colors

yellow

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~557 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, rain garden

Native states

AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA