Sawtooth Oak

Anybody have opinions one way or another on the Sawtooth Oak (Quercus acutissima)? I was looking for an oak to plant in my urban back yard to fill in a spot where I lost a Pin Oak (due to Hurricane Isabel last year). I had never heard of a Sawtooth Oak, but it looks like a great tree.

I do not know the ph of my soil, but I would say that compacted clay would be a fairly good description. I really liked the looks of the tree that I lost (I am fairly certain it was a Pin Oak, but I cannot be 100% certain), but it did have a number of roots at surface level. I seem to recall reading that this was common with Pin Oaks, and I am sure that my soil does not help.

- Brent

One thing that I did find out about this tree, is that it is on the list of non-native invasive trees for Northern Virginia. I guess I will pass.

- Brent

Brent, ever heard of Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)? It's moderately fast growing for an oak , and it has fall color.

Brent, have you seen that they are being offered in the Tree/Shrub CO-Op on the Co-Op Forum?

Yea, that is what prompted my question. Mine was the only order that included a Sawtooth Oak, but I have since removed it from my list. I have been leaning toward purchasing a larger tree through a nusery anyway. A Sweet Gum might be another good fit, but it does not look like that is going to make the co-op list (since nobody has ordered any).

- Brent

I don't know if this is the case .. but, I've got an idea that it may ....

Brent .. the only Sweet Gum (that 'I' am familiar with) .. makes for some mitey lovely fall coloration .. and is definitely fast growing - but there are also many features that aren't favored by many folks!

The inevitable 'gum ball fall out' is most horrid .....
They (the gumball contains the seed) sprout most easily! And the gum balls are extremely spikey and can hurt to step on barefooted, or sit on for that matter! hee .. Most definitely can hurt like the dickens and injure when converted to projectiles by the lawn mower! Will put some mitey purtee dents in vehicle bodies .. and can definitely break house windows also. Not to mention they can sure dull a good mower blade really fast too!

Seriously, back in Louisiana (where we were 'sweet gum' poor .. hee!) - quite often, we'd find dead birds and butterflies lying about, and finally realized after some indepth ponderin' - that we'd been killin' them with the dadgum'd Gum Balls when we mowed the yard! We had far too large of yard/lawn then, to give it a good rake thru before mowing .. had an acre and half of grass there! Using a bagger was in vain, for when we used such .. our intentions were to put the glass clippings either in a compost pile for the garden or use as a mulch later!

That - was another hard lesson learned also .. hee hee

We started cutting them down, and killing the stumps as quickly as we could - but these things were created to be practically non-destructible once established . . .

I'm probably not telling you anything that you didn't already know, right ?

Thanks for the response. I think that I meant to say "Blackgum". My neighbor has a Sweetgum tree that overhangs my property. It really is a nice looking tree but the spiny seed balls are a real pain. I am not sure if it goes in waves, but the tree really seemed to drop a lot this year. Plus it seems to have a lot of surface roots. A book I have lists a seedless Sweetgum tree, but says it does not have as good of fall color.

I think I will try to track down a Pin Oak and a local nursery.

- Brent

Wheeeeew! ...

( .. LOL ..)

Had a 'hunch' about it .. that's why I put that last line there in the post! .. hee hee

Happy 'trackin' then .. Brent_in_NoVa

This message was edited Aug 26, 2004 1:49 PM