Quercus 'NEW MADRID'

Oaks are common trees of our natural woodlands. They border our ponds, occur naturally in our mixed forests, and make magnificent specimen trees in our parks and arboretums - where less common species or rare varieties can be seen. Nuttall oak is a tall tree native to east-central USA, along the gulf coast and up the Mississippi river basin. It resembles red oak and pink oak but tolerates adverse soil conditions and offers more brilliant autumn colours.

New Madrid is a hybrid Nuttall oak variety, a cross between q. nuttallii (= q. texana) and q. palustris. It is a little smaller than the species, yet a large tree for mid-sized gardens and parks. It is renowned for its colourful foliage – in spring the leaves emerge coppery red, in late spring turn maroon or pale chocolate red, and in autumn change to fiery shades of golden, orange, and red. They are deciduous, bright green in summer, deeply lobed, and have bristles at the tips of the lobes. In March appear flowers formed in small, male and female catkins, and are followed by acorn in late summer and autumn the following year.

It grows moderately to fast into a pyramidal canopy at young age, changing to rounded in maturity. Its large size makes it a gorgeous specimen lawn tree in large gardens and parks, often chosen for its long-lasting autumn colour of leaves, casting a pleasant shade.

Oaks are not fussy about soil type and Nuttall oak is more tolerant of compacted, clay-based, often water-logged, or wet ground. It will grow in a range of soils from lime-based to acidic but produces the best autumn colours if cultivated in slightly to strongly acidic soil. Once established it is drought tolerant, withstands city pollution and road salt, and requires zero maintenance. Newly planted trees need to be staked for 2-3 years to establish. It dislikes paving above its roots. It is hardy to about -25 °C (USDA zone 6) and may withstand a few degrees lower (under trials).

Last update 04-02-2021; 19-09-2022