Sun. Sierra red oak (Canby oak) is a fast-growing, graceful mid-sized oak species. The spear-shaped leaves are dark and glossy above and greenish-yellow underneath. Closely related to the Chisos oak of Big Bend, Canby oak has proven drought-tolerant and freeze-resistant in Texas, able to drop leaves after extreme cold temperatures without significant dieback.
Trees can reach up to 80 feet in native stands in Mexico. In central Texas they have been used extensively in landscaping, where they are semi-evergreen in most winters and perform vigorously in well-drained soils.
Canby oak is in the red oak group, susceptible to quick death by oak wilt within 4-6 weeks of contracting it. Oak wilt is most easily transferred in spring when the beetles that transmit it are active. To prevent it, NEVER PRUNE IN SPRINGTIME (February to June). Pruning is best performed in midwinter when beetles are dormant. Seal any pruning wounds within 30 minutes of cutting and clean tools before and after each individual tree.
A graceful Mexican oak used as a fast-growing semi-evergreen in central Texas.
