Oaks are not just another tree. Entomologist, professor, and best-selling author, Doug Tallamy writes in his latest book, “The Nature of Oaks,” that “oaks more life forms and more fascinating interactions than any other tree genus in North America.”
Oaks are essential of the food web, on which all life depends.
How do oaks life? First of all, oaks make acorns.
Deer, opossums, squirrels, bears, raccoons, crows, titmice, blue jays, acorn woodpeckers, and others creatures, rely on acorns for food. When storing acorns for another day, scrub jays and squirrels inadvertently plant oaks because often they forget where they buried them!
Feed wildlife by leaving acorns in place.
Oak leaves are food too.
Oaks are great hosts. Coast Live Oak trees, for example, are host plants for over 160 butterfly and moth species. Butterflies and moths lay eggs on the host plant leaves and the caterpillars that hatch munch on some of the leaves of the host plant.
“Yuck!” you say? It’s actually a good thing. These colorful, fuzzy, sometimes beautiful caterpillars are an essential food source for baby birds, even birds that are seed eaters as adults, such as goldfinch.
Caterpillars are so nutritious, they could be called “fat and protein-filled sausages,” and there is an added bonus. They are soft, so less apt to hurt a nestlings’ esophagus when mama pushes them down vigorously.
Oaks host the most caterpillars, so you will see the most birds in them, foraging for caterpillars.
Ditch the pesticides. Let nature take its course.
Pesticides upset the ecological balance, killing beneficial insects and predatory spiders that keep the harmful insects in check. Oaks are very hardy and can tolerate leaf munching by caterpillars.
Leaf litter is a valuable commodity.
Many caterpillars pupate (transform into adult butterflies and moths) in oak leaf litter. Countless organisms live off of the leaf litter too, turning it into humus (organic matter), enriching the soil. So, instead of tidying up, leave the leaves in their place, at least through the winter. Better yet, remove a section of grass under your oak, and replace it with mulch.
Objections to oaks
“Oaks are slow to grow.”
Oaks grow slowly at first because they are putting down a long tap root, thus are more stable in a windstorm. Once established, oaks can then grow over 2 feet a year.
“Oak trees are costly.”
Plant an acorn instead. Acorns are free and are much more likely than a container grown tree to survive. Because of the long tap root, commercially grown oaks are often rootbound. If not trimmed properly, oak roots can get tangled, leading to premature death.
Given time, an oak grown from an acorn will sur a container grown oak.
“Our yard is too small.”
Not all oaks are large. Some oaks, such as the Bear Oak are shrubs. The Dwarf Chinkapin Oak is only 10-15 ft. tall. Larger oaks can be shaped by cutting their lateral limbs, reducing their span.
Additional benefits of oaks
Oaks reduce runoff and filter water, protecting our watersheds.
Oaks capture atmospheric carbon through photosynthesis. Because they are longer lived than the average tree, they capture carbon for many more years. Oaks are drought tolerant, preferring little if any supplemental water, even in summer.
Poway Valley Garden Club’s Pollinator Project have planted hundreds of Coast Live Oak Tree acorns for future distribution when they become seedlings.
Plant an acorn, pull up a chair, and let the show begin.
Donna Payton is chair the Pollinator Project with the Poway Valley Garden Club. For more information, her at [email protected]
