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| Our tree of the week is an on-site native Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii). It's pictured center, growing next to the sidewalk, and is easy to recognize due to its clingy companion. During the summer months, the mature canopy of this tree provides highly desirable shade to a major thoroughfare. This week we appreciate its handsome fall foliage and its substantial acorns. |
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| This mature tree is situated between Hamilton Hall and the Student Union Building. It is positioned mid-slope. |
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| There aren't any low hanging branches on this old specimen. With the exception of one lower branch that could be accessed with the aid of a 10-foot ladder, all its limbs are way out of reach. |
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| A venerable volunteer trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) has been allowed to grow alongside this mature Shumard. During the summer months you can find the bright orange trumpet-flowers scattered on the ground around the trunk. |
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| Since its leaves are far above eye-level, for most of the year, this is all we see -- a large, straight, cylindrical trunk. |
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| Of course, it's a handsome trunk. The mature Shumard bark is grey, rough, and fissured. |
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| This week, things are changing.The leaves are turning pretty colors and then falling to the ground. |
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| Light-green leaves are mixed with shades of yellow and orange. The show of color is fleeting! |
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| Shumard leaves are lobed and pointy. The leaf measures approximately 6.5 inches in length. |
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| The leaf-litter yielded up one useful example, a twig with green leaves. We see that the Shumard leaves alternate along the twig. |
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| This dark green leaf is representative of the Shumard during the hot months. It's smaller, measuring less than 5 inches. |
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| The underside is lighter in color, but still very green. |
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| Looking more closely at the underside, we see little fuzzy spots on the midrib. |
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| The fall coloration is accompanied by a large number of acorns this year. You can find these in the leaf-litter. It's hard to imagine, but the USDA maintains (the claim is stated here) that you can make a coffee-substitute out of these acorns. No recipe is provided. |
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| Shumard oaks have large acorns, measuring an inch in length. The acorn cap is shallow. |
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| Detail of acorn |
You can see more pictures of the arboretum's Shumard oaks here.
For more information about this species consult the following:
United States Department of Agriculture
University of Florida IFAS Extension
Virginia Tech Dendrology
