Other Names:  Ware's Oak, Hybrid Oak

Description:

A perfect selection for narrow spaces; glossy, dark green foliage produces warm tones of yellow, orange, and red in fall; strong upright branching and a high resistance to mildew and drought; tolerant of urban conditions, a great street tree

Ornamental Features

Wind Candle Oak is primarily valued in the landscape for its rigidly columnar form. It has attractive dark green foliage with grayish green undersides. The lobed leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of yellow, orange and red in the fall. It produces brown acorns from late summer to late fall. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up.

Landscape Attributes

Wind Candle Oak is a dense deciduous tree with a strong central leader and a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This tree will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. It is a good choice for attracting squirrels to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Messy

Wind Candle Oak is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Vertical Accent
• Hedges/Screening

Planting & Growing

Wind Candle Oak will grow to be about 40 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live to a ripe old age of 150 years or more; think of this as a heritage tree for future generations!

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. This plant will benefit from an application of bonemeal and/or mycorrhizal fertilizer at the time of planting. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.