Shingle Oak/Laural Oak

Quercus imbricaria, AKA Shingle Oak, or Laurel Oak, is a distinctive, rare specimen oak with glossy, unlobed, laurel-like leaves.  Emerging a fresh deep green in Spring, with pale downy undersides, they go on to form a tidy and symmetrical canopy throughout Summer. By Autumn, the foliage transforms into rich shades of russet-red and yellow-brown. The tree often retains its dried, brown leaf canopy through Winter before shedding them ahead of new growth in Spring, providing valuable seasonal texture and screening. Over time, it develops from a neat, conical juvenile into a magnificent, broad-spreading shade tree with attractive, shallowly furrowed bark. Historically, early American pioneers valued its straight-grained timber for splitting into wooden roof shingles, giving rise to both its common name and botanical epithet (imbricaria coming from the Latin for overlapping tiles).

Site: Tolerates some inland exposure and urban air. Protect from severe, salty coastal winds
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained acidic to neutral soils; tolerant of drier soils once established
Position: Full sun, partial shade,
Season of Interest: Lush green Summer foliage, rich russet Autumn colour, and persistent Winter leaves
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Height: 50-65ft (15-20m) Spread: 40-50ft (12-15m)

Image 1 by Nonenmac cropped and licensed under CC BY 3.0
Image 3 by KentuckyKevin cropped and licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0
Image 4 by David Stang cropped and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0