🌳 Oak Tree
Quercus spp.
Tree
☀️ Sun
Full sun to partial shade
💧 Water
Low to moderate; very drought-tolerant once established
🗺️ Zones
3–10 (species dependent)
📏 Spacing
20–60 ft (species dependent)
📐 Height
20–100 ft (species dependent)
🧪 Soil pH
6.0–7.0 (most species)
⏱️ Maturity
Acorns at 20–50 years; full canopy in 30–80 years
Key:🤝 Grows well together❌ Keep apart☀️ Sun needs💧 Water🗺️ Hardiness zone
🤝 Companions (8)
🤝 Native wildflowers
Good companion — Oak Tree and Native wildflowers grow well together.
🤝 Ceanothus
Good companion — Oak Tree and Ceanothus grow well together.
🤝 Toyon
Good companion — Oak Tree and Toyon grow well together.
🤝 Manzanita
Good companion — Oak Tree and Manzanita grow well together.
Good companion — Oak Tree and Wild Columbine grow well together.
🤝 Ferns
Good companion — Oak Tree and Ferns grow well together.
Good companion — Oak Tree and Serviceberry grow well together.
🤝 Redbud
Good companion — Oak Tree and Redbud grow well together.
⚠️ Keep Apart (2)
⚠️ Lawn grass (changes soil pH and moisture)
Keep apart — these plants do not grow well together.
⚠️ Highly invasive plants
Keep apart — these plants do not grow well together.
📝 Growing Notes
Oaks support more wildlife than any other native North American tree genus — over 500 species of caterpillars alone rely on oak leaves. Their deep taproots mine minerals from subsoil and deposit them via leaf litter. Native wildflowers and shrubs are the ideal companions, creating rich understory habitat while the oak provides the canopy layer.