What kind of oak trees grow in Michigan?

Michigan oak species are divided into two subgroups — red oaks and white oaks. Red oaks have pointed leaf lobes; white oaks have rounded/blunt leaf lobes. Red oak acorns germinate in the spring. White oak acorns germinate soon after falling.

Are oak trees native to Michigan?

Nearly 50 percent of Michigan’s land area is covered by forest vegetation, and six different species of oak trees are found growing natively in forests and planted in landscapes throughout the state.

What is killing oak trees in Michigan?

The No. 1 killer of oak trees in Michigan is caused by oak wilt disease. For several years, this disease has continued to move through Michigan at an alarming rate — with April through July being the time of the year when oak trees are most at risk.

Does white oak grow in Michigan?

The white oak is a common oak species found in both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas, though less frequently found in the Upper Peninsula. It can grow on a variety of different soils, but does not grow well when those soils are poorly drained. The bark of a white oak is light gray in color.

How fast do oak trees grow in Michigan?

Northern Red Oak (quercus rubra) It is a fast-growing tree, getting up to 20 feet tall in just 10 years.

What is the most common tree in Michigan?

The sugar maple/beech/yellow birch forest type accounts for 18 percent of the State’s forest land, followed by aspen (13 percent) and white oak/red oak/ hickory (7 percent). Balsam fir, red maple, and sugar maple are the three most common species by number of trees.

Are there live oaks in Michigan?

The live oak (Quercus virginiana) is a magnificent tree and it is a shame we can’t grow it in Michigan, but it is too cold by a long shot. This is a big tree, growing up to 80 feet high and maybe 100 feet wide. It is also long-lived, probably 300 years or more.

Will deer eat baby oak trees?

Young oak trees in open fields still may be targeted by deer. Growing oak seedlings with a little cover may reduce their exposure to browsing. You can protect them further with wire mesh seedling cages or by wrapping their stems with spiral plastic strips.

Do deer eat oak trees?

Deer prefer to feed on the oak species which have the greatest amount of protein and are easiest to digest, including valley, black, blue, scrub, and live oaks. Oak leaves and twigs (browse) are very important from spring to fall, especially in early spring when the new growth is emerging.

What is the fastest growing tree in Michigan?

The red sunset maple can reach heights of 40 to 60 feet and up to 35 feet wide. This tree is often the first to change color in the fall, and it doesn’t disappoint when its leaves turn vibrant shades of orange and red. It produces red clusters of small flowers winter to spring.

Where is oak wilt?

The estimated range of oak wilt runs from southern Michigan through central Pennsylvania along the Appalachian Mountains south to Georgia, westward to the Great Plains and including much of Texas, then northward into Minnesota. All oaks are susceptible to oak wilt.

What type of tree is a red oak tree?

Red oak trees include different varieties of red oaks including water oak, willow oak, pin oak and cherrybark oak. All oaks trees are deciduous trees with toothed leaves and heavy, furrowed bark. The fruit is, of course, the acorn.

What are red oak leaves?

Size and Shape. Red oak leaves measure 5 to 9 inches long and have seven to 11 lobes.

What is oak identification?

Oak Identification. True oaks are divided into three general categories, or “clades”. Oaks frequently hybridize between species, making exact species identification a tad difficult in some situations. Clades matter to us because oaks only hybridize within their own clade.