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Lithocarpus Tanoak

Lithocarpus

Related to the Oak but evergreen and with erect rather than weeping flower spikes - this group of trees growing wild in eastern Asia and the west coast of the U.S has alot of value in the landscape and is much hardier on the east coast than many might expect.
Preferring fertile, neutral to acidic, well drained soil in full sun or partial shade;
they are very drought tolerant but are not salt tolerant and in colder climates prefer to be protected from cold drying winds. The Tan Oaks are not generally bothered by pests or disease. Propagation is from seed which is sown in autumn.



Lithocarpus chinensis
Fast growing to 40 feet in 20 years and fully hardy north to Raleigh, NC.

Lithocarpus cleistocarpus ( Closed Cup Tanoak )

A very attractive hardy columnar Tanbark Oak, this tree native to w Hupeh and Szechuan Province in China is fast growing ( to 27 feet in 12 years ) to an eventual size of 80 x 50 feet with a trunk diameter up to 3.3 feet.
Its very attractive, drooping blue green leaves grow to 12 x 4 inches, are evergreen and maintain their color all year. The leaves persist 4 or 5 years making for a very dense canopy.
It is also hardy north into zone 7a. Very easy to grow in both the southeast U.S. and Pacific Northwest. It thrives in sun or shade on just about any well drained soil. Drought tolerant but being that it begins new growth early in spring, it may be damaged by late spring frosts where they may occur.

A RECOMMENDED LANDSCAPE TREE!


Lithocarpus dealbatus
A medium size tree reaching up to 66 feet that is native to southern China, Bhutan, northeast India, N Laos, NE Burma, northern Thailand, Vietnam
Some records include: 13 years - 21 feet.
The ovate leaves are up to 5.5 x 2 inches.

Lithocarpus densiflorus ( Tanbark Oak )
A very large tree reaching 100 feet or more, that is native to the west coast of the U.S.from Oregon to central California. Some records include: 5 years - 8 feet; 20 years - 44 x 40 feet; largest on record - 210 x 73 feet with a trunk diameter of 10 feet. A very tall tree when grown in the forest; open grown trees are shorter and may be branched to the ground unless pruned. A few trees are known to grow in the British Isles, a sizeable one grows at the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens in Scotland.
The prominently veined, evergreen leaves are leathery, stiff and toothed and reach up to 8 x 3 inches in size. They are rusty hairy beneath at first turning to gray-green above and whitish beneath. There is a very attractive cutleaf form of Tanbark Oak that is equally fast growing and can be grown from cuttings.
The very small, whitish male flowers are held in slender, erect spikes up to 5 inches in length in mid summer.
The small, oval fruits are up to an inch in length. The acorns of this tree were a staple food of some native North American Indian tribes and are among the best tasting of all acorns.
The yellowish twigs are densely fuzzy.
The bark is red-brown, thick and furrowed.
It grows best in Mediterranean climates and actually dislikes summer moisture though requires a winter wet season and a yearly annual precip over 40 inches. Despite all that, there are reports of it doing well along the eastern Seabord. The Tanbark Oak thrives in sun or partial shade and can get some leaf burn at 5 F and severe dieback under 0 F.

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

* photo taken by R.S. Bacon @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database


Lithocarpus echinoides
Very closely related to Lithocarpus densifolius and is sometimes considered a dwarf form of it. Usually small and scrubby; very old plants on ideal sites are much larger though still shrubs. The largest on record is 10 x 40 feet.

Lithocarpus edulis ( Nakai Tanoak )
A large tree to 70 feet or more that is native to China. Some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 2 feet; largest on record - 180 feet in height with a trunk diameter of 10 feet; largest in Georgia - 40 x 56 x 1.4 feet.
The Nakai Tanoak is an excellent windbreak and shade tree.
The leaves are up to 9 x 3 inches in size and are very glossy, very dark green above and gray green beneath. They are narrow elliptic, leathery and prominently veined.
The very small, creamy white flowers are borne in axilliary, slender, upright catkins up to an inch in length in late summer.
The fruits are pointed acorns up to an inch in length that take 2 years to ripen.
The blue-gray bark is smooth.
Hardy zones 7 to 9 and though extremely rare, it really does thrive in the Mid Atlantic and southeast U.S.

Lithocarpus glaber
A small tree native to eastern China and Japan that can reach up to 20 feet or more. Some records include: largest on record - 50 x 15 feet with a trunk diameter of 3.2 feet; largest in North Carolina - 20 feet.
The leaves are tough and leathery, glossy green and smooth above and covered in fine white hairs below. The leaves sometimes have a few marginal teeth near the apex.
They are up to 6 x 2 inches in size.
The young shoots are downy.
Hardy zones 7 to 9

Lithocarpus hancei
Largest on record - 50 feet with a trunk diameter of 1 foot.
The ovate to elliptic leaves are up to 4 x 2 inches.

Lithocarpus henryi ( Henry Tanoak )

The evergreen Henry Tanbark Oak is a very beautiful, long lived rounded tree native to China that should be much more commonly grown in the Mid Atlantic.
Its leaves grow to 13 x 3 inches and are leathery, heavily veined, elliptic and pointed. They are glossy dark green above and whitish below and keep their color the entire year. The bold leaves are very attractive and tropical looking.
The bark is gray with lighter grey lenticels and shallow orange brown fissures at the base.
The tiny creamy white flowers are in slender, upright catkins up to 8 inches in length in August.
The fruits are rounded acorns up to 0.65 inches in length that are borne in dense clusters.
This drought tolerant tree is hardy north to zone 5b and loves hot summers making it well adapted to the Maryland region. It grows up to 3 feet in a year to an eventual size of 80 x 80 feet with a trunk diamter of 3.2 ft.

* photo taken on Feb 2009 @ U.S. National Arboretum



* photos taken on 4th of July @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.






* photo taken on October 17 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.


Lithocarpus kawakamii
A medium size tree native to mountains of Taiwan.
Some records include: 14 years - 17 feet with a trunk diameter of 6 inches; largest on record - trunk diameter of 28 inches.
The leaves are oblong to 10 x 3 inches.

Lithocarpus magalophyllus
A medium size tree native to southeast China and northeast Vietnam.
Reaches a maximum height of 82 feet with large foliage, reaching up to 12 x 5 inches.

Lithocarpus pachyphyllus
A tall tree to 80 feet or more that is native to the eastern Himalayas. Some records include: 20 years - 40 feet with a trunk diameter of 6 inches; tallest on record - 120 feet with a trunk diameter of 2 feet or more; largest on England - 60 feet.
The leathery elliptic leaves are up to 9 x 3 inches and are glossy green above and silver below.
Hardy north to zone 9

Lithocarpus variolosus ( Varied Leaf Tanoak )
A rare tree native to the Subalpine zone in the mountains of southwest Sichuan and northwest Yunnan, China and nearby parts of Vietnam.
It grows pyramidal in habit with horizontal side branches and reaches up to 66 x 30 feet at maturity.
The long lived, evergreen, broadly ovate leaves are typically up to 6 x 2 inches though are sometimes as much as 9.5 x 3 inches in size.
Hardy north to zone 7, it thrives in sun or shade, alkaline or acidic soil but likely prefers the Pacific Northwest over the hot humid southeast. It begins new growth early in spring and may be damaged by late spring frosts where they may occur.
Propagation is from seed and semiripe wood cuttings.

Related Trees
A genus of 2 trees closely related to Lithocarpus, both which are native to the western U.S.

Chrysolepis chrysophylla ( Golden Chinquapin )
A large tree reaching over 80 feet that is native to coastal Oregon and California. Some records include: largest on record - 150 x 40 feet with a trunk diameter of 10 feet; longest lived - 500 years.
The leathery, pointed oval leaves are golden beneath.
The tiny yellow-green flowers are borne in catkins during summer.
They are followed by clusters of edible red-brown nuts that are encased.
The attractive bark is red-brown.
Hardy zones 7 to 9 in sun or partial shade on just about any well drained soil.
Propagation is from sowing fresh seed which does germinate better if scarified.
While it does not grow in the eastern U.S., large trees already occur in parts of the British Isles where it has been planted.

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database


Chrysolepis sempervirens
Similar to Golden Chinquapin except in miniature, rarely reaching over 10 feet. Some records include: 15 years - 10 x 10 feet; largest on record - 17 x 19 feet.
The leaves are also much smaller, only to 3 inches.
Hardy zones 3 to 7. It is an alpine plant that likes full sun and sandy soil and is difficult to grow in cultivation.