Good idea. Bur oaks are the most drought tolerant of our native oaks.

What perennials, not trees, are good for shade and drought, especially under evergreen trees?

Despite conventional wisdom, I have success with hostas, trollius, bleeding heart, Northern Lights azaleas, white baneberry, ostrich ferns under old spruce. On the outer edges, I have some extra Stella d'Oros I couldn't see composting, Asitic lilies, nepeta, feverfew, and sedums. And there's a spring under story of squill, puschkinia, and muscari. Probably a couple of things I'm forgetting.

It's an area that gets only rain, no supplemental watering. And it's been there for a long time and so far so good. My gardens all seem to be fairly drought tolerant; I have only had to water annuals and some newly installed shrubs and conifers.

We're about 4" below normal rainfall, having gotten a fair amount in August, but little if any since.

According to the article, deer will present one of the greater problems.

With food scarce in the winter, seedlings of northern white cedar, yellow birch, red oak and white pine trees are eaten by the white-tailed deer.

The increased white-tailed deer population poses a particularly troublesome threat, because they prefer these 4 species that could best adapt to a warmer climate in Minnesota.

WOW! I wonder what the implication will be for our smaller lawn trees.
gramma jan