Most oaks in area are at least 160 years old

If trees were royalty, oaks would be kings in our American landscape. Their strength, beauty and adaptability make them revered in our history and lore. The oak is our national tree, after all. The white oak is Illinois' official state tree.

Many people, however, don't like to plant oaks.

"Homeowners often choose other trees because they think that oaks grow too slowly. That is a myth," said Doris Taylor, plant information specialist at The Morton Arboretum. A young oak grows at a good pace, about a foot a year, according to Taylor.

"Give oaks a chance," said Taylor. "You may be first on your block to plant one!"

Oaks great benefits to planting oaks. They make beautiful shade trees, with their distinct lobed leaves, acorns and red fall color. They are long-lived and suffer less damage from high winds than other trees. Plus, diversifying your landscape with a wider variety of trees can prevent a new disease or pest from wiping out whole blocks of trees, like what's happened to elms and ashes.

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The painting is by Laura Tasheiko

Ancient Oak Trees Help Reduce Global Warming

ScienceDaily (June 28, 2008) — The battle to reduce carbon emissions is at the heart of many eco-friendly efforts, and researchers from the University of Missouri have discovered that nature has been lending a hand. Researchers at the Missouri Tree Ring Laboratory in the Department of Forestry discovered that trees submerged in freshwater aquatic systems store carbon for thousands of years, a significantly longer period of time than trees that fall in a forest, thus keeping carbon out of the atmosphere.

“If a tree is submerged in water, its carbon will be stored for an average of 2,000 years,” said Richard Guyette, director of the MU Tree Ring Lab and research associate professor of forestry in the School of Natural Resources in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. “If a tree falls in a forest, that number is reduced to an average of 20 years, and in firewood, the carbon is only stored for one year.”

The team studied trees in northern Missouri, a geographically unique area with a high level of riparian forests (forests that have natural water flowing through them). They discovered submerged oak trees that were as old as 14,000 years, potentially some of the oldest discovered in the world. This carbon storage process is not just ancient; it continues even today as additional trees become submerged, according to Guyette.

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