Oaks that hold leaves for mn/wi

[homegrownbucks]

What oaks seems to hold their leaves the longest? I see them around and they appear to be white oaks when I’m able to check out the leaves, but wanted to see if anyone had specifics. I have some pin oak seedlings but not sure how they will do in my area, I’m looking at the twin cities area and lacrosse wi area for hardiness specifically.

 

[Catscratch]

I don't know how far north Sawtooths can go but they hold their leafs until the new ones push the old off in the spring. Great for screens.

 

[homegrownbucks]

I have heard that, too cold here unfortunately, and illegal in wi for invasiveness even though they will die from the cold

 

[Wind Gypsy]

A lot of them I still see holding are pin oaks or swamp white oak variants. There are some that also look like northern red oak but that doesn't appear to be across all of them. [Edit to clarify: I don't know for sure that they are pin oaks and not black or northern reds - it just seems that the ones with leaves that look like pin oak leaves to me are the red variety that I see holding still]

Personally i'm trying to get some swamp white hybrids planted this year in Wright and Kanabec county and expect they'll hold leaves at least into this time of year.

 

[Jimmy G]

My northern red and pin oaks hold a percentage of their leaves. All seem to drop at least some. I'm a hour North of the twin cities. My big bur oaks lose almost 100% by December.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Tree Spud]

White oaks here seem well into November and early Dec. Usually last tree to drop leaves.

 

[Barndog56]

I have Northern Red and Black oaks. They both hold onto a random amount of leaves. One tree may drop half while the tree right next to it holds onto all of them. And they may switch next winter.

 

[Catscratch]

I have Northern Red and Black oaks. They both hold onto a random amount of leaves. One tree may drop half while the tree right next to it holds onto all of them. And they may switch next winter.

We have red oaks that do the same thing. Some hold their leafs while others that appear to be the exact same variety drop. By this time of the yr most have dropped.
Took a pic of a sawtooth today. Too bad they aren't appropriate up there.

 

[H20fwler]

Pin Oaks here.

 

[Teeder]

The oaks that still have leaves on my place are: sawtooth, white, chestnut, swamp chestnut, and a little on the english. Sawtooth and white are the best.
As others have said, I'm sure the sawtooth aren't appropriate for where you are. Swamp whites had nothing left.
Took pictures of these whites today.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Agree with other comments above for northern areas. Burr oak drops first, white oaks hold the longest and northern red oak is in between. For those that do better with pics, Exhibit A taken on 1/1/23. Many of the oaks in Teeder's comment above do not grow in the north so no experience with those.

- Burr oaks extreme left in pic and bare for some time now
- (4) White oaks just to left of the trail and not much for leaf drop. They will hold well into winter sometimes almost until spring
- Northern red oaks are all to the right of the trail and dropped some but still holding a fair amount

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Put some miles on snowshoes with the family in Lake Maria state park in Wright county and paid attention to what was holding still. From memory there are lots of Bur, red, pin, and white oaks there. The trees holding the most leaves were usually 10-20' pin oaks. I did see one white oak that was holding still really well by the parking lot but very few through the trip. It might be that there are just fewer whites than I recall and most pf the white oak family trees there are bur oaks or maybe most of them just didn't hold leaves long.

There is a neighborhood near me where almost every oak tree still holding lots of leaves is a swamp white oak and thats actually how i've identified some prospects for acorn collecting next year. I've noticed the same in a neighborhood by my parents house near Hugo, MN.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Pin Oaks here.

Same here.

 

[OakSeeds]

Most old oaks shuck em; especially with high winds. Their canopies are high and there are few barriers to block the wind. These sites will add info.
https://fpdcc.com/oak-trees-leaves-winter-marcescence/
https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2019-11-14-why-do-some-trees-retain-leaves-over-winter

As this last site indicates, it is a worldwide phenomenon.
https://www.internationaloaksociety.org/content/when-oak-leaves-fail-fall

 

[Jerry]

Around here shingle oak generally holds leaves the longest by a long way.

 

[Thetrooper]

Pin oaks hold well but shingle oak holds the best I can't find any shingle oak online for sale but the natives we have are phenomenal...in Ohio

 

[homegrownbucks]

Any idea if we are looking at pin oak or northern pin oak in mn?

 

[Thetrooper]

Any idea if we are looking at pin oak or northern pin oak in mn?

I've never heard of a difference between pin oaks but don't know for sure. Maybe a purchase from a. Northern nursery would help but I always thought a pin was a pin

 

[bwoods11]

Pin oaks & red oaks hold late !! Two great trees …

 

[rocksnstumps]

Any idea if we are looking at pin oak or northern pin oak in mn?

Different habitat preferences between pin and northern pin. Northern pin does well and outcompetes other stuff in dry sandy areas and that's I what I think about and have seen them when I hear folks talk generically "pin oak". Think of the crap soil you can also find lots of black oak in.

"Regular" Pin oak on the other hand is listed more as a lowland species and can tolerate wet feet. Those type of pin oaks I have not run across in northern WI