Bluff oak

Does anyone grow Bluff Oak (quercus austrina)? I never see it mentioned on the net or in books.

Yes, it's doing OK here, at least during the past few winters. I believe Ron Lance at Chimney Rock Park near Asheville NC might have it in their nursery from documented wild sources. Worth a phone call at least.

Guy S.

www.mailordernatives.com and another nursery has them for sale but I don't know anything about them. What is the fall color? I have only seen one photo online and it was so blurry I couldn't tell anything. They are native to my area so I may have seen one and not even known it. I googled Chimney Rock Park and it looks like an excellent place for a vacation.

This message was edited Aug 16, 2006 9:59 PM

Fall color here is sort of russet as I recall. They are confused a lot with the more common Q. sinnuata (formerly Q. durrandii) so make sure the nursery has the right species. Ron knows that group of oaks a lot better than I do -- contact me off line and I'll give you his phone number.
Guy S.

Chad:

Guy's trying to take your money; that's his handle when he's got his poker face on...

I acquired this species many moons ago (1990) for the nascent quercetum under assembly at Gainesway Farm in Lexington. Woodlanders had it, as well as most other southern Quercus species. I think Forestfarm may as well.

It was one of the few borderline to wishful thinking southern zone species to survive for a couple years. The -28ºF of January 1994 put an end to any of that foolishness at the time (including Lithocarpus spp., many west coast oaks, etc.). I haven't been in position to try it since then.

I AM now the proud papa (by adoption) of several Q. pungens, Q. arizonica x Q. gambelii, and a bumper crop of Q. georgiana.

And I'll call you on that.

Methinks he's just trying to call your bluff





:-)

There seems to be some differing opinions out there about it. Some consider it to be Quercus sinnuata var. austrina, and others say it's plain out Quercus austrina.

Duh, why didn't I mention Woodlanders? Bob works with Ron and they collect in the same areas. Regarding the taxonomy, it's been argued about forever. Nixon in Flora of North America considers them distinct and I think most taxonomists now agree. You also can find one or both species listed occasionally in older books under Q. durrandii. And there us a Texas form of Q. sinuata, variety breviloba. All are surviving outdoors here thus far. VV probably just killed them with his kind words! But I would like to follow up with him on how long Q. arizonica and Q. pungens survive outdoors for him. John, please let me know how they do!
Guy S.