Willow Oak

This large native tree has a unique form compared to most other oaks, with one of the smallest leaves of any native oak and a simple, unlobed, elliptic leaf shape. It is considered a medium to large oak, growing up to 80 feet, and is native to the Southeast United States, including the Bootheel region of Missouri that makes up the northwest corner of the Willow Oak’s range. In Missouri, the Willow Oak is generally found in wetter areas bordering swamps, or poorly drained lowlands. Despite their quick growth rate, these oaks are not common in Missouri given the reduction of suitable habitat within the Bootheel.

The Willow Oak is a member of the subgenus of red oaks. These oaks are distinguishable from other oaks from their awns (soft bristles) at the ends of leaf lobes, their orange hairs on the leaf underside at vein intersections, and their dark, ridged bark. For the Willow Oak, the most noticeable of these features is the bristle at the leaf tip, instead of at the lobe tips.

Name	Willow Oak
Latin Name	Quercus phellos
Indigenous Name(s)
Cultivar/Variety
Commercial Name

More about Tree #22:

Where to find Arbor Walk #22

Data on the space around this tree

Data on this tree over time

More about the Willow Oak in general:

How to identify Willow Oak

Relationship of Quercus phellos to other species in the Arboretum

Global Distribution of Willow Oak

Additional Resources on the Willow Oak