Willow Oak
Quercus phellos
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Genus:
- Quercus
- Species:
- Quercus phellos
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- More than 40 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- mar, apr, may
- Bloom Colors:
- Yellow
Native Range
United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Automeris zephyria, Cecropis moth (Automeris cecrops), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Large Tolype (Tolype velleda), Phyllodesma carpinifolia, Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Red-spotted Purple (Basilarchia arthemis)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers lowland areas with periodic flooding
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: Seeds are fall sown with a mechanical seeder or by hand into prepared field beds.
Establishment: Seeds are purchased from local collectors within a 50 mile radius of the nursery. The seeds are wild collected during fall months and are kept separated according to site, elevation and source. The seed sources are from south central Missouri.
Source: npn.rngr.net