Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

$18.99

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) | $18.99 | 1 gallon

🌿 Quick Facts: • Native Status: Native to central & eastern North America; superb performer on the Front Range • USDA Growing Zones: 3-8 • Height: 60-80 feet at maturity (a large shade TREE) • Spread: 60-80 feet

🌺 Bloom Details: • Season: Spring • Colors: Yellow-green catkins; large acorns in distinctive fringed cups • Flower Type: Inconspicuous wind-pollinated catkins • Bloom Period: April-May

☀️ Growing Requirements: • Sun: Full sun • Water: Low once established — deeply drought tolerant • Soil: Highly adaptable; excellent tolerance of alkaline clay soils • Spacing: Plant 40-50 feet from buildings & other trees

🦋 Pollinator Benefits: • Birds: Acorns feed jays, woodpeckers, turkeys, squirrels & deer • Native Bees: Wind-pollinated, but bark & canopy host huge insect diversity • Butterflies: KEYSTONE larval host — oaks support more butterfly & moth species than any other tree • Beneficial Insects: Supports hundreds of beneficial insect species

🌱 Plant Care: • Spring: Plant while small — a deep taproot makes larger transplants difficult • Summer: Water deeply but infrequently the first few years • Fall: Excellent drought resistance once rooted; water in before freeze • Winter: Extremely hardy; slow, steady, very long-lived

🤝 Companion Planting: • Perfect paired with:

Native grasses
Serviceberry
Chokecherry
Shade-tolerant natives

✨ Unique Characteristics: • One of the very best large shade trees for Colorado • Exceptional tolerance of alkaline clay & drought • A keystone wildlife tree supporting hundreds of species • Massive character with age; lives for centuries • IMPORTANT: this is a full-size shade tree — give it 40-50 ft of space