Tree · North Texas care guide
Quercus macrocarpa
Nursery Pro tip: Huge leaves, huge acorns, huge tree. The one to plant for your grandkids.
The biggest-leaved, biggest-acorned oak — a massive, slow-and-steady native that will outlive the house. Corky twigs, deep-furrowed bark, and it grows on the alkaline prairie clay better than any other big oak.
Full sun and lots of room: 60–80 ft each way eventually. Keep it 25 ft from structures. Takes clay, drought and wet spells alike.
Fall through spring. Wide hole, ball at grade, native soil, Root Stimulator, mulch. It puts down a taproot, so it doesn't like being moved once planted.
Weekly the first two summers; established trees need nothing but a soak in the worst droughts.
Spring tree fertilizer the first couple of years; unnecessary after that.
Winter only, paint the cuts (oak wilt), and keep one leader. Minimal shaping needed.
Very few problems. Oak wilt is possible, so keep to winter pruning. Big acorns and leaves in fall — site it away from the pool.
A legacy tree for a big lot, park strip or back property line. Give it space; underplant later with shade-tolerant groundcover.
Written for Rockwall's black clay, heat and winters by the Landscape Source team. Every yard is different — bring a photo by, or ask LS-Ai, and we'll tailor it to your spot.