One of the most famous oak trees in the world is the Willow Oak Tree, which is scientifically named Quercus phellos. 3 It’s a Beech Tree with medium growth rate, deciduous foliage, endurance, and long life spans.
It grows in a way that looks like a willow, has small round acorns, and strong bark. This beautiful tree is also known as the Swamp Oak or the Peach Oak.
There are so many interesting facts about the Willow Oak Tree. For example, in a single year it can increase in height by 2 feet.
When you see a Willow Oak tree, this full guide tells you how to tell it apart and gives you lots of interesting information about this great tree species.
Pin oak (Quercus palustris) and willow oak (Quercus phellos) are two of the most popular oak trees used in landscaping. Both have attractive forms and beautiful foliage, but there are some important differences between the two In this article, we’ll compare pin oak vs willow oak to help you determine which is better suited for your landscape.
Pin Oak Overview
Pin oak is a large deciduous tree that grows 60-70 feet tall with an oval, ascending form. It has a relatively fast growth rate and tolerates a variety of soil types and pH levels.
The leaves of pin oak are deeply lobed with 5-7 bristle-tipped lobes. The lobes are usually U-shaped at the base. The leaves are glossy dark green in summer, turning brilliant scarlet or bronze red in fall before dropping.
The bark of younger pin oaks is smooth and gray. As the tree matures, the bark develops scaly ridges and deep furrows with a reddish-brown color.
Pin oak produces acorns that are round and sit in a thin, saucer-shaped cap. It also has slender twigs that give it a fine texture during the winter months.
Willow Oak Overview
Willow oak is a massive oak species capable of reaching 60-75 feet in height with a rounded, open crown. It has an intermediate growth rate.
The leaves of willow oak are elongate and narrow like a willow’s leaves. They have smooth, undulating edges with no lobes or teeth. The foliage has a light green color throughout the seasons, eventually turning yellowish in fall.
Willow oak bark starts out smooth gray on young trees. Over time it becomes dark gray and rough with thick, irregular ridges.
The acorns are small, oblong in shape, and sit in a deep, fringe-like cap. Its stout branches have a coarse texture in winter.
Differences in Appearance
The most obvious difference between pin oak and willow oak is in their leaves. Pin oak has classic lobed oak leaves while willow oak has long, narrow foliage. This gives each tree a very distinct look.
Pin oak has a pyramidal shape with gracefully drooping lower branches. Willow oak has a wider, more rounded crown with upright branching. Their growth habits result in different forms.
When it comes to fall color, pin oak takes the cake. Its deep red and maroon fall foliage is much showier compared to the dull yellow of willow oak. Pin oak also holds its leaves longer into fall.
The two oaks have distinctly different bark patterns, too. Pin oak bark has deep ridges and furrows while willow oak bark has irregular, blocky scaling.
Differences in Environmental Needs
Pin oak and willow oak also have some differences in their site preferences and tolerances:
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Soil – Pin oak prefers moist, acidic soils and may struggle in high pH soils. Willow oak is more adaptable to various soil types, including alkaline urban soils.
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pH – The ideal pH range for pin oak is 4.5-6.5. It has only moderate tolerance to alkaline soils. Willow oak tolerates a wider pH range of 4.5-7.5.
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Drought – Willow oak is considered drought tolerant once established. Pin oak is less drought tolerant due to its shallow root system.
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Urban tolerance – Willow oak generally tolerates urban conditions better than pin oak, including pollution, compacted soils, and drought.
Landscaping Uses
When selecting either species for landscaping, consider their environmental needs and growth habits:
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Pin oak works well in parks, golf courses, larger landscapes, and areas where its majestic form can stand out. Provide ample moisture and acidic soil for best results.
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Willow oak is ideal for street plantings, residential areas, and other harsh urban sites. It’s also used in lawns and naturalized areas where its wide crown provides ample shade.
Maintenance Factors
A few other care and maintenance considerations:
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Pruning – Pin oak requires more pruning to maintain its shape and remove drooping interior branches. Willow oak needs less pruning overall once established.
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Roots – The surface roots of pin oak sometimes cause issues with sidewalks and driveways. Willow oak has a non-invasive root system.
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Lifespan – Under ideal conditions, willow oak lives slightly longer than pin oak, several hundred years.
Choosing Between Pin Oak and Willow Oak
When deciding between these two oak species, consider their aesthetic and functional differences along with site conditions.
Choose pin oak where you want showy fall color and a neatly pyramidal form. Select willow oak for its toughness, shade, and overall adaptability. With proper siting and care, both make exceptional landscape trees.
To summarize key differences:
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Pin Oak – deeply lobed, glossy leaves; brilliant red fall color; neat pyramidal habit; prefers moist acidic soils
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Willow Oak – narrow willow-like leaves; yellow fall color; broad rounded crown; tolerates various soils and urban conditions
Whichever you choose, you’ll have a majestic oak tree that provides beauty, shade, and wildlife habitat for years to come.
How Did the Name Quercus phellos Come To Be?
Quercus, the genus name is Latin for oak trees. While phellos is Greek for cork.
These trees usually grow in medium to wet, average, acidic soils. They can survive in both poorly and well-drained soil in light shade or full sun.
Willow Trees adapt well to clay soil and they are tolerant of urban pollution. They have fibrous root systems that transplant well.
They are mostly used as street trees and as shade trees in big yards, golf courses, parks, businesses, and other public places. They also do well in water gardens or ponds.
However, these trees are toxic to horses.
Willow Oak Flower and Fruit
Willow Oaks are a monoecious species.
The male part of the Willow Oak flower is born on slender catkins that have a yellow-green coloring. The female comes from very short axillary spikes.
Both parts appear quite early with the leaves.
The Willow Tree produces very small acorns which are about ¼ to ½ inch across. They are yellow-green in color and usually round.
They turn tan when they mature. They have thin, saucer-like caps that cover only 1⁄4 of the acorn. The caps have appressed, tomentose, thin scales.
The Willow Oaks flower and fruit in the summer and fall.
Oak Tree & Acorn Identification for Deer Hunters
FAQ
Is a willow oak the same as a pin oak?
How to identify a willow oak?
How do you identify a pin oak?
What is the common name for pin oak?
What is the difference between a pin oak and a willow oak?
Willow oak – Willow oak has a similar branch structure and soil tolerances to pin oak. This tree grows 1 to 2 feet in height per year to a maximum of 40 to 60 feet in height with 30 to 40 feet in spread. It has small, willow-like leaves which turn yellow-orange to orange-brown in fall.
What is the difference between a pin oak and a red oak?
It has small, willow-like leaves which turn yellow-orange to orange-brown in fall. Red oak – Red oak trees make great street trees because they tolerate urban pollution and compact soils. These trees grow slower than pin oak trees at 2 feet per year to reach 60 to 75 feet in height and a spread of 45 feet.
What is a willow oak tree?
FYI – the willow oak (Quercus phellos) is different than a typical willow tree, which is from the genus Salix. If you’d like to purchase a willow oak tree, take a look at this fantastic option from Fast-Growing Trees.
What is a pin oak tree?
The pin oak tree (Quercus palustris) is a fast-growing tree in the genus Quercus. Pin oaks belong to the group of red oak trees and are recognized by their pyramidal to oval crown. A feature of pin oaks is that their lower branches tend to droop, middle branches grow horizontally, and upper branches upward.
Do pin oak trees wilt?
Oak wilt and oak blister are the pin oak tree diseases you should be most concerned with preventing when planting a pin oak. Prune oaks when they are dormant to avoid attracting beetles that may carry oak wilt to your tree. When pin oaks are planted in excessively alkaline soils, they may also experience yellowing of leaves.
What is the difference between a pin oak and a laurel oak?
Like the pin oak, it’s native to the east coast of the United States, where it can thrive in soggy soil, which gives it the nickname swamp laurel oak or water oak. Laurel oaks have diamond-shaped, shiny, green leaves. Willow oak – Willow oak has a similar branch structure and soil tolerances to pin oak.