Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
poaky1

Anyone live near the Compton's oak in Williamsburg, Va?

poaky1
9 years ago

Either the Ghirardi oak or the Champion Comton's oak in Williamsburg, Va. If you are near it or near enough to drive to it in fall and collect acorns in fall. This is not the pure Live oak in Williamsburg, Va, but it's a hybrid between Live oak and Overcup oak. There is one that is huge and of course old, in Williamsburg, Va. I hope there is a sign by it. If someone could gather some acorns from under the Compton's oak in fall, and get ripe, Tan colored, likely on the ground, but with no holes in them. I don't know if they fall in September, October or November. Even late August. If someone can collect some, no more than 25 or 30, though, I'm not rich. I will pay 50 cents an acorn. Only someone who will get the right acorns, if you aren't sure, get help to ID the right tree. I hope someone can do this.

Comments (13)

  • clanross
    9 years ago

    I live in the Williamsburg area and just went to Colonial Williamsburg the other day for the first time. I Looooooved the Comton's Oak too and have been looking for a tree or 2 to buy but cannot find one yet. I am thinking about trying to collect acorns from a few of the trees around there. If I go back and get acorns, I will get some extra for you. :)

  • poaky1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Clanross, I have ordered 4 Compton oak seedlings from the " mossy oak natives nursery in Mississippi or Alabama. I had originally hoped for access to cheaper Compton's oaks. But I have already paid for 4 seedlings of Compton's oaks. But if you get some mature acorns (tan in color, and fall off the tree) that would be great. But, as mentioned I have already ordered seedlings off the internet. I had figured that nobody living near the tree had answered soon after the post, so I may as well order the trees. But if I had gotten some extra seed/acorns I could sow the seed/acorns locally.

  • greengrassjunkie
    9 years ago

    I would be willing to do this for you. whats so special about these oaks. I live in williamsburg. Whats so special about these oaks? do you have pics of them?

  • poaky1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Greengrass, I answered you on the tree forum, but, I will tell you here why they are so special. They are a hybrid of Live oak Quercus Virginia and Quercus Lyrata known as Overcup oak. Your area has some Live oaks, which are at their northern limit. Any colder and the Live oaks can't take the winter temps, the Overcup oaks are hardier, and likely are key to make the Hybrid Compton's oak hardy to zone 5. You are likely zone 7 or 8 in Williamsburg, or close to it. I am getting my Compton's oak seedlings from Mossy Oak natives nursery this coming week. But I will pay for a few extra Acorns, anyways. I believe Hairmetal from the tree forum is interested also. They are similar to the Live oak, but have some traits of the Overcup oak. The thing that hooked me is the fact that they get huge like the Live oak. I may be dead before mine get that big though. But, One of my previously planted Compton's has a nice shape, with horizontal branches, like live oak. Greengrass, I am not sure I could post a link to a pic of the tree, but, just type in your search engine, Google or Yahoo etc. Williamsburg, Va Compton's oak. Well, it will just show a pic of the tree which you could just drive to and stand under it in all it's glory, unaware of how lucky you are to live near it....... Sorry, I got lost for a minute. But, seriously, it is special to those of us in zones colder than 7/8 Williamsburg, va, because we can't grow the Live oak here, and the Compton's oak is a hybrid of Live and Overcup oak, which frequently has many traits of the Live oak, and we can grow it in as cold as zone 5. But, I would'nt think it is worth a fortune, the Mossy oak natives nursery in Mississippi ( I THINK) or Alabama, maybe even Louisiana, somewhere down there, are selling seedlings for approx $9-$10 a seedling. But on ebay you may make some bucks on seedlings or seeds. Well, I will take about 6 acorns if you are still sharing them. But, Let me know your terms, as I mentioned on the tree forum. Hairmetal is in zone 7, I believe, but he has mentioned, (or someone else living in his area) maybe NJOASIS, had mentioned snow load is a problem, not cold temps. So the Compton oak being deciduous sometimes may be good for hairmetal, I am guessing at all this, hair will tell you if he is interested, etc.

  • poaky1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Greengrass, I answered you on the tree forum, but, I will tell you here why they are so special. They are a hybrid of Live oak Quercus Virginia and Quercus Lyrata known as Overcup oak. Your area has some Live oaks, which are at their northern limit. Any colder and the Live oaks can't take the winter temps, the Overcup oaks are hardier, and likely are key to make the Hybrid Compton's oak hardy to zone 5. You are likely zone 7 or 8 in Williamsburg, or close to it. I am getting my Compton's oak seedlings from Mossy Oak natives nursery this coming week. But I will pay for a few extra Acorns, anyways. I believe Hairmetal from the tree forum is interested also. They are similar to the Live oak, but have some traits of the Overcup oak. The thing that hooked me is the fact that they get huge like the Live oak. I may be dead before mine get that big though. But, One of my previously planted Compton's has a nice shape, with horizontal branches, like live oak. Greengrass, I am not sure I could post a link to a pic of the tree, but, just type in your search engine, Google or Yahoo etc. Williamsburg, Va Compton's oak. Well, it will just show a pic of the tree which you could just drive to and stand under it in all it's glory, unaware of how lucky you are to live near it....... Sorry, I got lost for a minute. But, seriously, it is special to those of us in zones colder than 7/8 Williamsburg, va, because we can't grow the Live oak here, and the Compton's oak is a hybrid of Live and Overcup oak, which frequently has many traits of the Live oak, and we can grow it in as cold as zone 5. But, I would'nt think it is worth a fortune, the Mossy oak natives nursery in Mississippi ( I THINK) or Alabama, maybe even Louisiana, somewhere down there, are selling seedlings for approx $9-$10 a seedling. But on ebay you may make some bucks on seedlings or seeds. Well, I will take about 6 acorns if you are still sharing them. But, Let me know your terms, as I mentioned on the tree forum. Hairmetal is in zone 7, I believe, but he has mentioned, (or someone else living in his area) maybe NJOASIS, had mentioned snow load is a problem, not cold temps. So the Compton oak being deciduous sometimes may be good for hairmetal, I am guessing at all this, hair will tell you if he is interested, etc.

  • poaky1
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    I'll be going there with a friend soon in about a week. I'm not worried about collecting acorns, I have several Compton oaks already, my oldest Compton oaks will soon be bearing acorns in a year or 2. I just want to see the Champion there, and go to Va beach.

  • edwardbstokes
    6 years ago

    I am interested in acorns from Compton oaks growing in z6. I would like to hear more of growers' experience with this tree.

  • poaky1
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    I have several of them I bought from Mossy oak natives nursery in the south. They are an online nursery. I'm in zone 6 SW Pa and my trees are hardy here in zone 6, even though they came from the south. All of mine made it fine through our worse winter in my recollection in 2013-2014. I have some that may put out acorns soon. They say by year 8 they should put out acorns, and it should be 8 years for at least 1 in a couple years. I actually have 1 in a pot that I need a home for, but, it isn't dormant now, if you don't get 1 by fall, maybe I can send you mine. But you may be looking for acorns only. I am running out of room in my yard so I have the one in a pot.

    There's a small chance I could get acorns from 1 of mine in fall. I didn't check if there were any flowers on mine this spring, so i don't know for sure. But, in any case, you will need to wait for fall or winter to get fresh acorns for any oak tree.

    Maybe someone on here that lives near or will be going to Williamsburg, Va or any place there is a Comptons oak can give you acorns, but, I don't know of any place that sells the acorns.

  • poaky1
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    I could send the potted one, but, I am not in a very good position now with money. I think it could be done, but, in fall would be easier on the tree.

  • Ty Bert
    4 years ago

    Are the Compton Oaks still alive poaky1 in Pennsylvania? I am looking to grow some in southeastern Nebraska Zone 5b.

  • poaky1
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    BTW, also, Tyler ALL of my Compton's are still alive, I hadn't lost ANY of them.

  • poaky1
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I haven't seen anything lower than -13F here since I've been paying attention to temps here, and that would have to be from about at LEAST 2010 and maybe earlier. But, that -13F was in one particularly bad winter the winter of 2013-2014. The Compton's oak is rated at being zone 5a and up. I THINK that zone 5a is -20F since my zone 6a is -10F for the lowest temp, so you should be fine with a Compton's oak.