You have been warned: everyone falls in love with this Quercus phellos ‘Hightower’, from grower to landscape architect. The Hightower is a willow oak; with fine foliage and lanceolate leaves. As opposed to the ‘normal’ oak with a robust appearance and solid green, the fine foliage of the Quercus phellos ‘Hightower’ provides a transparent glow. The autumn colouration is phenomenal, and thanks to its biodiversity, this abundant acorn producer brings back nature to town.

The Quercus phellos ‘Hightower’ has a naturally developed, central trunk and an equal distribution of branches. The shiny, dark-green leaves turn yellow/orange in autumn. It is a mid-sized tree that grows to about 20 m in height and 7-9 m in width. The trunk has dark-grey to black bark. The tree develops a wide, pyramidal to round crown, and stands out from other oaks because of its fine willow leaves of a maximum of 10 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. The Quercus phellos ‘Hightower’ is an abundant producer of acorns, an important source of food for squirrels, birds, and other animals. The acorn production starts at 15 years, far earlier than other oaks.

This willow oak is native to eastern North America. It is a popular tree thanks to its fast growth, winter-hardiness, and the ability to resist both sun and shade. The tree thrives in drained, humid, and fertile soil and tolerates wet soils and rare floods. The tree adapts to clay, loam, or sandy soil. The Quercus phellos ‘Hightower’ is often found in lowlands, floodplains, and along streams.

The Quercus phellos ‘Hightower’ is a grateful avenue tree as well as a specimen tree.