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Sunday - May 08, 2005

From: snow hill, MD
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Propagation
Title: Propagation of Emory Oak acorns
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Dear Wildflower Experts, By any chance do you know how we could obtain some Emory Oak acorns to plant on our farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland? I know it’s not a given that the trees would grow well here, but the tree is named after one of our ancestors, William Hemsley Emory, and so we’d like to try to grow some in our garden. Almost any plant that can take heat manages pretty well here. Many thanks for your ideas.

ANSWER:

According to Benny J. Simpson in "A Field Guide to Texas Trees" (1999, Houston: Lone Star Books), the Emory oak (Quercus emoryi) grows in the mountains of the Trans-Pecos region of Texas (Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio counties) at elevations of 4500 feet and above. It also occurs in Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico. Simpson also says that the Emory oak requires "acid soils of igneous origins and will not grow on alkaline soils." You can read more information from the U. S. Forest Service, you can also read about it in the Texas A&M Aggie Horticulture database, and you can see more picutres from Arizona State University. Given the differences in the native climate and environmental conditions for the Emory oak and those that exist on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, I have serious doubts that it will thrive where you live. However, I certainly understand your wish to try it. My suggestion for finding acorns is to contact the Texas Cooperative Extension Office in one of the Texas counties listed above. Perhaps they could refer you to source for acorns.

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Sunday - May 08, 2005

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