The Importance of Tree Conservation in Texas

The Importance of Tree Conservation in Texas

Jan 28, 2021 | News

The Importance of Tree Conservation in Texas

By Todd Michaels

It turns out money DOES grow on trees. Trees increase the value of your property and can lower your heating and cooling costs. But that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the intrinsic value these forces of nature bring to planet Earth.

Wide, tall, bushy, and small, all trees are essential. They store carbon, emit oxygen, provide food for wildlife, and keep the soil balanced. In Texas, conservation is essential, especially in the summer when triple-digit temperatures are common.

When it comes to dollars and cents, mature trees can reduce your energy bill.

Shade

Wide tree canopies spread shade and other benefits

Large trees with spreading canopies are crucial all around the Lone Star State. Leafy trees protect roofs from absorbing sunlight and provide cooling with water that transpires through the leaves. Deciduous trees – those that drop leaves in the fall – are particularly adept at shading houses, air conditioners, and paved areas during the hot summer months.

Low branches covered with thick leaves protect against high, strong winds. Evergreens, such as live oak, cool the hot summer air and also provide shelter from cold winter winds.

Conserve energy by planting trees around your home. Trees can shade east-facing walls and windows in the morning, and west-facing walls in late afternoon. The proper placement and orientation of trees can help maximize the savings provided by evergreen or deciduous trees, with evergreens best placed to the north and north-west sides of the home. Deciduous trees are better suited for the south facing sides.

Trees with spreading canopies on the southern side of the building provide some summer shade. But be mindful: The trees can also keep sunshine from warming up your home in winter.

Plant trees over paved areas to keep black asphalt from absorbing too much Texas heat. Lightly-colored cement won’t draw in as much sunlight but still benefits from the cooling effects of tree canopy. Another tree benefit: Shading your home’s air conditioner helps it run more efficiently.

Property Values

Trees increase property values, especially in a planned community. Poorly-maintained landscaping may deter would-be buyers from your home. LawnStarter recommends these attractive ornamental trees for your landscaping:

  • Plum, Mexican or Chickasaw
  • Cherry laurel
  • Holly, yaupon or deciduous
  • Crape myrtle

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Needs of Nature

Beyond the economic benefits, trees protect our natural resources, ecosystems, and life itself. They provide food, homes, and protection for birds, bees, insects, and other wildlife. Other benefits of trees?

  • Emit oxygen while removing carbon dioxide from the air.
  • Improve water quality by preventing runoff and erosion.
  • Protect streams and waterways from sediment and chemicals.
  • Help recharge the groundwater supply.
  • Cut back on the urban heat island effect through evaporative cooling by reducing the amount of sunlight in parking lots and buildings.
  • Filter dust and pollutants (like sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide) from the air.

Plant!

In forests, it is not uncommon to see new seedlings sprout up after mature trees drop seeds. But in settled areas, trees need propagation help from nature lovers. CTUFC is a great resource for information about ecosystems and native plants. The council also offers programs on to improve planting, pruning, and maintaining trees in the community.

Reforesting land is an option for those with a lot of acreage. Many of today’s forests are the result of reforestation planned up to 50 years ago.

The Future

The future of Texas forestry, wildlife, ecology, and nature begins now. The more natural resources people use, the more we will need. That means fewer habitats for deer, rabbits, birds, and other wildlife. Conserving trees and clean water is only a part of what the Earth needs from us – we must also respect it.

Todd Michaels is a Texas conservationist with a degree in biology. He writes about eco-friendly landscaping and recycling efforts around the country. Editor’s note: The Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council does not endorse any company or product. This article is published with permission and was provided courtesy of LawnStarter.

Leaf Management in the Landscape

Leaf Management in the Landscape

Dec 7, 2020 | News

By Laura M. Miller, Tarrant County Extension Agent Commercial Horticulture

Most of the year, it’s difficult and expensive to get enough organic matter. In the fall, it’s raining down on the just and the unjust. In fact, many yards are virtually covered by leaves from deciduous trees. Disposing of these leaves can create a significant burden on landfills and municipal compost facilities. Leaves cause even more problems when then get into the storm drain system (often with a little help from a leaf blower) where they can cause serious problems if there’s a significant rainfall event. On the other hand, leaf fall provides a great opportunity to turn what some people see as messy debris into an environmentally friendly landscape enhancement. Here are a few leaf management options:

A light covering of leaves can be mowed, simply leaving the shredded leaves in place on the lawn. A mulching mower is best. During times of light leaf drop or if there are only a few small trees in the landscape, this technique is probably the most efficient and easiest way to manage leaf accumulation.

Using leaves as mulch is a simple and effective way to recycle organic material and improve the landscape. Leaves can be used as mulch in vegetable gardens, flower beds and around shrubs and trees. Apply a 3 to 6 inch layer of shredded leaves around the base of trees and shrubs carefully avoiding the tepee effect by keeping mulch away from tree trunks and shrub crowns. In annual and perennial flower beds, a 2 to 3 inch mulch of shredded leaves is ideal. Tadalafil- The medicine is sold as cialis no prescription canada or sildenafil citrate. It is a budget-friendly treatment obtainable at pocket-friendly cost. Order Page levitra generika The drugs help increase excitement http://appalachianmagazine.com/2014/06/17/pickin-and-story-tellin-at-pipestem-state-park-for-west-virginia-birthday/ viagra india with your partner. Just 5-10% of a child’ body weight can buy cialis overnight Order Page be effective. Mulching is especially important in establishing newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials. If the natural look of shredded leaves isn’t what your customer likes, top off the leaf mulch with a thin, inexpensive layer of bark mulch. You’ll get all the benefits of bark at a fraction of the cost.

Leaves may be collected and worked directly into garden and flower bed soils. A 6 to 8 inch layer of leaves tilled into a heavy, clay soil will improve aeration and drainage. The same amount tilled into a light, sandy soil, will improve water and nutrient holding capacity. Adding a little fertilizer to the soil after working in the leaves will hasten their decomposition.

To prepare compost, organic material, microorganisms, air, water and a small amount of nitrogen are needed. Microorganisms break down the organic material. The nitrogen, air and water provide a favorable environment for the microorganisms to decompose the organic materials and make compost. Air is the only ingredient which cannot be added in excess. A lack of nitrogen to “feed” the microorganisms will greatly slow the process, while an excessive amount is wasteful and can kill the microorganisms. Too much water limits the amount of air (oxygen) available to the microorganisms, greatly inhibiting their activity. As composting occurs, heat is generated, often causing temperatures to rise to 140 degrees F. Caring for an onsite compost pile could become part of a regular landscape maintenance plan.

For more information, and lovely color publications visit the Earth Kind website at earthkind.tamu.edu

Regional Champion Bald Cypress in Arlington

Regional Champion Bald Cypress in Arlington

Oct 30, 2020 | News

By Jeremy Priest

A new regional champion bald cypress has been crowned: Located in Bob Cooke Park in East Arlington, this tree is an impressive 45 inches in diameter. The tree stands nearly 60 feet tall and the canopy spreads an average of 50 feet in width. The calculated tree index is 213 points, making it the largest bald cypress in Tarrant County and the Cross Timbers region.

The bald cypress in the background were planted at the same time as this champion tree but were less exposed to wind and sunlight.

What is really astonishing about this new champion tree is that it was planted only 33 years ago! There are a number of trees lining the creek and trails at Bob Cooke and most were planted around the same time in the later 1980s. There are five other bald cypress adjacent to this one that were planted at the same time but are only half the diameter (although nearly the same height). So why is this tree so much larger?

As with all living organisms the answer lies in a combination of genetics and environment. Perhaps there is a genetic advantage this tree holds, possibly increased cold tolerance or growth allocation differences. But the tree’s environment is probably a bigger factor in this case. This bald cypress was planted at the end of a triangle formed by the other trees, such that it was placed farther away from other trees and is exposed on almost all sides (about 300 degrees around the tree are completely open) while the other bald cypress were a little closer together. The east and south sides of the tree were exposed so that it had plenty of sunlight, more than the others but not so far away that it wasn’t still competing for height. These bald cypress are also located next to a creek with lots of water, which is perfect conditions for bald cypress to grow fast and limit the drought stress experienced by the tree over its lifetime.

The trunk structure clearly shows the buttressing this tree developed to withstand wind loads in saturated clay soil.

This tree wasn’t limited on sunlight or water, but still had neighboring trees growing tall and competing for dominance. This competition actually forces the tree to continue its height growth. These factors would lead to a big tree, but wind may have played a role in this tree’s massive trunk diameter (which has grown more than 1.3 inches per year on average). In south and east Arlington (which is located in the Blackland Prairie ecoregion) wind speeds can be very high and typically prevail from the south. The three bald cypress planted on the south side of the “triangle” all have larger diameters than those planted closer to the creek, while heights are similar between all of the trees. This is a result of prevailing winds placing more stress on those exposed trees along Craig Hanking Dr. In spite of being farther from the creek the diameters are larger, which is a response to the wind. Bald cypress excels at forming buttressing on the roots and trunk as a response to wind, which requires a thicker trunk and increased trunk diameter. A number of factors led to growth of the largest bald cypress in the region, both positive and negative. Similar to how people need exercise to live longer, trees can use a little stress and competition to have a longer, healthier life.

Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)

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This photo shows the nearly ideal branching structure that naturally develops on bald cypress.

This species has long been regarded as one of the greatest species that can be planted from a longevity and care viewpoint. Bald cypress is capable of growing extremely quickly and tolerating saturated soil conditions, something that makes it an urban tree champ in and of itself, but can also be drought tolerant and grow slowly in other conditions. This tree is not native to north Texas and actually has a relatively small range along the gulf coast and major rivers, but does amazingly well in our region in spite of this. The limb structure, decay resistance, low likelihood of failure, and minimal maintenance needed once the tree is established makes for a fantastic urban tree.

The biggest issues with bald cypress are a long establishment period requiring frequent watering (which is where the misconception that bald cypress needs wet soil comes from), extreme intolerance to shade (the reason this species developed to grow in swamps was to get sunlight no other tree could), and the knees that can develop. The first two can be overcome through proper planting and care for the first few years. The root knees are not as big of an issue as most people believe and is mostly a reflection of the soil. In poorly drained areas (such as the creek side of this champion tree), knees will likely develop due to the soil saturation. They can be kept low to the ground through mowing or root pruning without much impact to the tree. If the soil is even moderately well drained knees will not likely develop. Of the 500 city-owned bald cypress in Arlington, less than 20% have developed above-ground roots or knees. As with other large species, particularly conifers, there is potential for pavement damage from these trees, but no more than other large species. Best practice is to plant this tree at least 6 feet from pavement to avoid this potential occurence.

Canopy Cover and Home Values

Canopy Cover and Home Values

Jul 30, 2020 | News, Science

By Jeremy Priest

A recent study in the journal Arboriculture & Urban Forestry evaluated the impact of canopy cover on residential property values for a community in Tennessee from 2001 to 2005 (Bridges et al. 2020). Their results surprisingly showed no correlation between home value and canopy cover on the property, but there was a significant correlation to canopy cover within buffer areas around the home. This study considered many seemingly extraneous factors that actually did influence value (e.g. if the house had a fireplace, the distance to nearby lakes, parks, shopping, and even major roadways), so it is not entirely surprising that tree canopy on the lot doesn’t factor much into home value. The reason is that other factors make up much of the decision when purchasing a home such as size, neighborhood, and age. While buyers may be more inclined to choose a house with trees on the property, they are limited to what is available and rarely are two identical houses available either with trees or without. The trees in the nearby area; however, are part of the neighborhood aspect of the home buying decision and has a more apparent influence on home purchases.

 Habitat for Humanity home site with new trees

Other studies have found significant correlation between trees and property values with tree canopy generally improving value (Anderson and Cordell 1985; Laverne and Winson-Geideman 2003). Some studies in particular have looked at preferred number of trees and seem to conclude 5-10 trees are most appropriate for typical homes in the area. The conlusions were that property value was negatively impacted by having too few or too many trees. The researchers hypothesised that too many trees are considered a risk or burden to the homeowner. A study on park spaces found the preferred tree density was approximately 50 trees per acre (Schroeder and Green 1985). While this is not directly applicable to residential property, it does support a preference for around 10 trees on a quarter-acre lot (when the area occupied by the house is excluded).

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Rental properties have been shown to have fewer tree planting and when planting does occur the trees are less likely to survive (Ashton 2012). This could be associated with property values as renters receive less benefit from caring for trees and landlords may not be aware of tree benefits.  A 2020 canopy cover analysis in Arlington found tree canopy was similar between multi-family and single-family homes, but also detected unnecessary tree removals more frequently on multi-family property. In these cases it was usually an apartment complex removing almost all trees from the property, perhaps seeing only costs associated with the trees and not benefits such as increased property value.

As Bridges et al. (2020) showed, the real monetary benefit gained from trees occurs when broad areas have increased tree canopy. The same principle applies to all of the benfits of urban trees, not just the increased property values. Municipal urban forestry programs and community engagement are vital to providing tree canopy for cities. Without these programs urban trees aren’t able to provide their full benefits. So don’t just plant a tree at your house to provide cooling, shade, and aesthetics; plant a tree to help your community overall.

Alert – EAB Detected in Denton

Alert – EAB Detected in Denton

May 19, 2020 | News

May 18, 2020 —Denton, Texas

Ash tree in Denton believed to be infested with emerald ash borer

On Thursday May 7, 2020 the City of Denton Urban Forester, Haywood Morgan, met with a homeowner in the Villages of Carmel neighborhood who had concerns that his ash trees might have EAB. After meeting with the homeowner, he was waiting to cross the street and noticed a bug land on a leaf of an ash tree. With the assistance of the homeowner he was able to capture the bug and place it in ziploc bag. Upon further investigation he had a strong notion that the bug was an adult EAB beetle. He informed the homeowner that the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) would be contacted to get a second opinion. Later that day he emailed pictures to Courtney Blevins, Urban Forester with the TSF. Courtney replied that he thought the diagnosis of EAB was right and requested a meeting to pick up the specimen the next day and send it to the TFS entomologist for a positive ID.

On Friday May 8, 2020 the Urban Forester received a call from Allen Smith Entomologist with the TFS who used the pictures to confirm the specimen is an EAB beetle. For it to be official the specimen would have to be sent to a lab in Michigan for positive identification. Allen stated once we receive positive identification, Denton County will be quarantined by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). This means that a protocol will be in place to reduce of the spread of the EAB. TDA will also have to inspect and approve our wood waste recycling equipment/program at the landfill to verify we are compliant with standards for processing EAB wood waste products for resale. Mr. Smith also stated that there would be a meeting with communities, agencies and businesses in Denton County that will be affected by the quarantine. Both Allen and Courtney have offered their assistance to help the City of Denton deal with this pest. 

EAB insect found in Denton, awaiting DNA testing for official confirmation

The State of Denton Urban Forest 2016 report calculated Denton’s urban forest to consist of about 4% (138,000) ash trees including public and private properties. Ash represent the eighth most populous tree in Denton, most of which are located on private property, natural areas and near riparian areas. As a part of Davey Resource Group’s work on the Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) a street tree (tree within the street right-of-way) count was performed on 10% of public streets. Using this data, it was extrapolated that Denton has approximately 20,850 street trees (between the curb and sidewalk). Utilizing data above it has been calculated the approximate number of ash street trees is 834.

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About 70% of City properties maintained by Parks and Recreation have been inventoried for ash trees. A total of 59 ash trees have been inventoried, with most locations having only two or less ash and the majority of those being less than 12 inches DBH. The highest concentration of ash trees are in Lake Forest Park and Sequoia Park.

With this discovery tree owners in Denton should begin to inspect their ash trees for possible EAB damage and prepare for action. Insecticide treatment is the only method of protecting ash trees from EAB and should be conducted by a professional arborist. There are no other known deterents to EAB infestation in ash.

For more information on EAB in Texas, please visit http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/eab/.

To report emerald ash borer, please call 1-866-322-4512.

You Can Call Me Sugar(berry)

You Can Call Me Sugar(berry)

May 6, 2020 | News, Science

Unique Trees of North Texas:

Sugarberry aka Hackberry

(Celtis laevigata)

By Laura M. Miller, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Tarrant County

In nice straight rows along just about every fence line, past or present, in North Central Texas, one is likely to find a few, often quite a few, of one of our most abundant native tree species, Celtis laevigata. Our native oaks are almost universally beloved, but this is a tree that does not get a lot of respect despite being one of the top three species in their contributions to tree canopy all over the Cross Timbers.

Warty trunk of the sugarberry

The name Celtis comes from Latin and is one of those examples of a misnomer that stuck. The name was originally used to refer to a completely unrelated berry bearing tree, Zizphus lotus. The genus includes 60-70 species that grow in most of the warm temperate regions of the world, including five of the seven continents. In addition to Celtis laevigata and its subordinate taxa (more on that later), Texas is also home to the very widely distributed Celtis occidentalis which is known as Northern or common hackberry. C. laevigata can be distinguished from C. occidentalis by its narrower, smoother leaves. Laevigata means smooth which is kind of ironic because its bark is anything but smooth. Many descriptions call it warty, and it is a favorite of tree vandals who appreciate the abundant scar tissue it forms providing a pretty noticeable record of exactly who “was here”.

The taxonomy of this tree can be confusing. Celtis used to be a part of the elm family but is now in the hemp family. At times Celtis reticulata, Netleaf hackberry, was considered a separate species, but now it is a variation of Celtis laevigata, C. laevigata var. reticulata. Mature trees in preferable sites can reach 50 feet in height but most specimens will be much smaller. It is not considered to be a long-lived tree as wood decay can be an issue, but it is possible for trees to survive for up to 150 years. As with any other landscape tree, pruning a young tree to a central leader will greatly improve the odds that it will have a long and happy life as well as result in a more attractive tree.

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Sugarberry seedlings with three true leaves (left) and cotyledon leaves (right)

In addition to fence rows, Sugarberry can often be found growing along the streams and rivers of the Cross Timbers. It can tolerate a wide range of annual rainfall, anything from 20-80 inches per year and grows in a wide variety of soils. Those aptly named sugary berries are consumed and subsequently spread by a wide variety of birds and mammals. Its value as a food source to wildlife is where this species shines. The “sugar berries”, small round drupes, are set early in spring and often remain after the leaves have fallen. Both resident and migratory birds enjoy them. Anyone who wants to attract mockingbirds, bluebirds, cardinals, doves, robins, cedar waxwings, orioles, and warblers, along with plenty of sparrows, should consider planting a sugarberry. You can also simply not cut down ones that will certainly appear under any place birds sit. The berries are highly successful at germinating in any space that a mower can’t quite reach.

If butterflies are your goal, this tree is a larval food source for emperor, snout, question mark and hackberry butterflies. In the summer of 2015, people who had never given their sugarberry trees a second look suddenly noticed the presence of webs and absence of leaves, especially in northeast Tarrant County.

Hackberry nipple galls on sugarberry leaves

The causal insect was eventually identified as Sciota celtidella, which in most years blends into the background about as well as the average sugarberry.

While birders and butterfly enthusiasts might want a sugarberry or two, anyone who enjoys gall making insects could not plant a more interesting species. It is a challenge to find an individual tree that does not have any galls. The most common is in fact used to identify the species. Known as the Hackberry nipple gall it is formed by a psyllid.

Although commonly occurring and often overlooked, sugarberry is uniquely valuable as a source of food and shelter to the birds, bees, butterflies, and other inhabitants of the Cross Timbers.

North Texas Cities Prepare for EAB

North Texas Cities Prepare for EAB

Apr 13, 2020 | News

By Jeremy Priest

The recent North Central Texas UFC included a panel of municipalities and experts regarding the preparation for EAB. Although most of the metroplex will still not face EAB for a number of years, unless a large jump is made by the pest, there is a need to begin preparations when it comes to municipalities. North Texas is blessed with low ash populations from the start, but even a 2% population could add up when considering an entire city.

Emerald ash borer is an invasive pest which devastates ash trees.

The speakers presented the need for an inventory or good sample at a minimum, with Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, and Dallas among those undertaking efforts to understand their ash trees. Without this information there is almost no way to predict the impact and potential costs. The experts made it clear that prolonging the life of ash trees is a valuable undertaking, as opposed to simply removing all ash trees at once. For example, the City of Arlington recently completed a study of park trees and determined as many as 15,700 ash trees exist in Arlington parks. The total number of ash is considerable and it will not possible to treat all trees, but only about 500 or so are greater than 8 inches diameter. Also, the study stratified by natural and open areas which indicates that only 200-250 ash trees are located near park visitors, which would be the primary targets for removal or treatment over the next 15 years. Although removal costs are not as concerning with a small ash population, simply removing all ash trees at once is not in the best interest of the urban forest, citizens expectations, or the municipal budget. This is especially important now given expectations of budget decreases across the country for as much as the next three years. Removing a few trees early on can help spread the cost and reduce the feeding ability of the EAB population. Ideally only trees in poor or fair condition should be removed (as the City of Plano has begun doing) and planning should be done so that any trees that are removed are replaced within a year or so. Don’t neglect tree planting and remember to increase diversity, as many cities have found replanting difficult as EAB removals increase.

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Ash tree receiving trunk injection of emamectin benzoate for prevention of EAB. Preventative treatment is not yet necessary, but can be done out of an abundance of caution.

As EAB begins to take effect in a community some trees will need to be removed, especially as early removal increases safety. The instability of ash once EAB has been in it for a year increases the risk of failure during the removal process. Most experts and studies have suggested treating at least some of the ash trees to prevent safety hazards, allow continued benefit of these ash trees, prolong the life of surrounding untreated ash trees, and importantly enough, fit removal and replacement within budgetary constraints. Foresters can conduct treatment injections themselves to reduce cost, but the chemicals themselves are not inexpensive. Emamectin benzoate products are generally considered the best choice for tree health and environmental impacts but the chemical alone will generally cost $3-5/inch of trunk diameter, depending on the desired rate. Still, there is little reason that cities could not spare a few hundred dollars to protect at least a handful of their best ash trees, since treatment is far less expensive than removal. Heavy concentration of ash tree removals, even if only a dozen trees fall under city control, may impact contractors removing the trees and the ultimate destination of that debris. Infested wood needs to be ground down or heat treated to prevent spread, or otherwise properly disposed of. Since many tree owners will be needing ash trees removed at the same time, there could be a financial impact (e.g. contractor delays, high prices) for tree removals that homeowners feel more than others. The loss of a tree is one thing, but the impact of losing that tree canopy forever is much worse. We need to encourage homeowners to plant a replacement tree in every way possible, including setting that example on city properties through replanting. As foresters we should consider the whole urban forest for our community, even if the trees are not under our direct control. If municipalities properly manage EAB it will not only provide an example for citizens, it could help protect and prolong their ash trees.

Blackjack Oak Tree

Blackjack Oak Tree

Apr 6, 2020 | Native Trees, News, Science

Unique Trees of North Texas:

Blackjack Oak

(Quercus marilandica)

By Jeremy Priest

This interesting oak species is often an associate of the better-known post oak, but blackjack oak is even more drought tolerant and survives on some of the toughest sites around. Owing to these extremely poor sites, blackjack oak often seems to be a smaller, stunted oak, with 100-year-old trees sometimes only being 20 feet tall and only a foot in trunk diameter. Don’t let it fool you though, blackjack can make for a beautiful shade tree and grows quite large when water is adequate. It is never a fast-growing tree, but on good sites growth rates may be nearly double that of post oak. The limiting factor for blackjack oak is an extreme intolerance to shade. This tree needs full sun so much so that its lower branches are easily shaded out by the upper canopy of the tree. Much like bald cypress evolving to tolerate extremely wet sites, blackjack oak has evolved to tolerate very poor and dry sites so that it can achieve full sun.

The common name most likely relates to the leaf shape and dark appearance of these trees. Not only is the bark dark and almost black, but the large thick leaves provide heavy shade. This tree also uniquely retains its dead understory branches and during the winter has leaf marcescence. This can lead to an overall spooky appearance when multiple blackjack oaks grow near each other. Most of the time the dead branches add to the look of the tree and there is no reason to remove them, unless there is a strong likelihood of damage if the branch were to fall. Since these lower branches are dying due to shade, these dead branches do not represent an issue with the tree, and it is completely natural for blackjack. If branches on the top of the tree die then there is a problem with the tree.

 

Blackjack oak is fairly easy to identify from overall appearance, but the leaves are also quite distinct. As with other oaks they are simple, with a smooth margin, and are arranged alternately. For blackjack the leaves are large and only have three somewhat rounded lobes which are not deeply cut into the leaf, although this varies considerably. The leaves are very dark and thick, with points at the tip of the lobes as blackjack is considered a “red oak”. Most oaks with rounded lobes fall into the white oak category, so look for the bristles on the tips of the leaf to ID blackjack oak. The bark is very dark, but does have a red appearance underneath if damaged. Like all oaks, this tree has acorns which are small but otherwise fairly normal.

Although the scientific name of this species means “of Maryland”, this tree is native across most of the southeastern US and encompasses the Cross Timbers region. Blackjack oak is not tolerant of highly alkaline soils which is why it has a slightly narrower range than post oak. The minimum annual rainfall needed is 17 inches according to USDA Plants Database, and it does not tolerate anaerobic conditions, i.e. flooding. One of the densest populations of blackjack oak in Arlington’s parks is at the Southwest Nature Preserve. This upland site is very dry and rocky but is also acidic and iron rich which is visible in the exposed red soil on the hilltop.

The native range of blackjack oak includes the Cross Timbers

As mentioned before, this a red oak species which most notably means there are no tyloses in the xylem vessels. Blackjack is shade intolerant as with most red oaks and though decay resistance is still high, there is less decay resistance than the white oak family. However, blackjack is extremely drought tolerant and can survive with minimal annual growth which is not normal for red oak species. It also has an extremely long lifespan, probably exceeding 100 years. The average lifespan is not easy to predict as this tree is not very common, but there is probably high mortality when young. Blackjack oak does not like competition and needs full sun, but otherwise experiences few health problems. If planted, soil drainage and pH could be an issue for tree health. Blackjack oak can reach heights of 40-50 feet and crown diameters of 40-60 feet. The largest one I’ve seen in Tarrant County (top photo) was over 30 inches trunk diameter and would have been one of the largest on record in Tarrant County. This large tree was probably over 110 years old, unfortunately it was recently removed, perhaps because the developer did not understand the value of a large blackjack oak. The state champion tree is in Henderson County and is 43 inches in diameter with a height of 65 feet.

Arlington Park Tree Map

Apr 1, 2020 | News, Science