Protect and preserve our native oaks by planting one. We’ll help you!

 "Among the oak openings you find some of the most lovely landscapes of the west, and travel for miles and miles through varied park scenery of natural growth, with all the diversity of gently swelling hill and dale; here the trees are grouped or standing single, and there arranged in long avenues, as though by human hands, with strips of open meadow between."

— Ellsworth, H.L., Illinois in 1837

Seeing a beautiful, mature native oak always makes me smile, like seeing a good friend makes me smile. You can call me a tree hugger literally because like a good friend, I cannot pass up the opportunity to hug a nearby oak. I admire our native oaks because like other native plants,  they possess both inner and outer beauty.

bur oak photo
A beautiful bur oak at McKee Marsh.

Our native oaks are very important trees of our woodland and savanna habitats. In savannas, very small sprinkles of oaks grew alongside prairie, savanna and woodland species. In our woodlands, oaks grew alongside other native woodland  trees, shrubs, vines and many herbaceous plants. In our woodland oak habitats, some sunlight was still able to reach the oaks and the wide branches of the oaks allowed dappled sunlight to reach the plants underneath. Today unfortunately many of our huge, old native oaks are dying and oak saplings are not surviving due to environmental stresses like urban development, invasive plants, too much shade, diseases, pests, climate change, and other reasons still under investigation.

Oaks are important because they provide food, shelter, cleaner water and air for many types of wildlife. Humans also depend on oaks for some of these benefits too, along with other uses. According to studies, our native oaks support over 500 species of butterflies and moths.  Wow! In turn, these butterflies and moths provide food for many other species of wildlife. Plus oak acorns provide food for many types of birds and mammals.   Large oak trees also provide homes, shade and cover for wildlife.  If we lose our oaks, just think of the wildlife and human benefits we would lose.  It would be catastrophic.

So to encourage folks to plant more oaks, our  Conservation@Home program is  giving away free oaks provided properties have the right condition.   This great offer is available thanks to a Chicago Wilderness grant. There is a native oak suitable for almost every moisture and soil condition, but most oaks need  full sun and get fairly large  (50-60′ minimum).  If you plant an oak, a ground layer of native plants or mulch underneath is better for the health of the oak than lawn. There is a myth that oaks grow slowly, but if you plant them in the right place and plant them small,  they grow quicker than you think. For example, my Chinquapin Oak grew 6′ in just one year. Here is a brief description of the native oaks we have. Please contact [email protected]  if you would like one. Thank you.

  • Swamp White Oaks (Quercus bicolor)  like medium-moist conditions, clay or sandy soil, compaction and flooded conditions are tolerated.
  • Bur Oaks (Quercus macrocarpa) very adaptable, likes dry-moist conditions, clay or sandy soil.
  • Chinkapin or Chinquapin Oak  (Quercus muehlenbergii) likes drier condition, some clay but not a lot, and has smaller acorns.
  • White Oak (Quercus alba)  likes drier conditions never wet, part shade is OK, slightly acidic soils.
  • Red Oak (Quercus rubra) most shade tolerant of oaks but needs a few hours of sun, medium-moist soils.
  • For more information and photos, please search a specific "Quercus" species on website : http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/tree_index.htm

written by Denise Sandoval Conservation@Home assistant, [email protected]

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