Planting a bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) in your yard is like inviting Rocky Balboa to live above your garage. It is tough and solid, able to handle the challenges of urban living better than many other trees, according to Kurt Dreisilker, manager of natural resources at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle.
“Bur oak is a survivor. It has many of the qualities we want in an urban tree,” said Dreisilker. “Although bur oak can grow quite large, I’ve seen it in sidewalk planters. It handles drought and adapts to confined spaces above and below ground.”
Everything about bur oak is big and bold, from its thick trunk to its burly branches. Given deep, free-draining soil, it will develop a full, majestic form. Extravagantly lobed, hammer-tipped leaves and stringy-capped acorns contribute to its texture.
Bur oak also is a heavy lifter when it comes to wildlife, attracting insects, birds, owls, bats and other mammals.
Despite these attributes, “we don’t see many bur oaks in urban landscapes. I wish we did,” said Dreisilker. “Often we find them in remnant woodlands that have been developed into residential areas.”
When fires regularly raged across prairies, bur oak thrived in open woodlands and prairie edges. Its protective corky bark and ability to re-sprout after fire gave it resilience, said Dreisilker, who manages the Arboretum’s Schulenburg Prairie.
One of the first restored tallgrass prairies in the world, Schulenburg Prairie marks its 50th anniversary this year. Today, several old bur oaks live in and around the prairie.
“Having been subjected to several decades of frequent prairie fire, their lowest limbs have suffered, and they’re not as tall as other bur oaks at the Arboretum. But they are still there,” said Dreisilker.
For advice about planting or caring for bur oak, contact The Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic at plantclinic@mortonarb.org, mortonarb.org/plantadvice or call 630-719-2424. Laurie Casey is a staff writer at The Morton Arboretum.
