The AU Davis Arboretum is home to many of Alabama’s trees. The dominant trees in landscapes and many forests in Alabama are Oaks, all of which belong to the genus Quercus. They have many types of leaves, but all bare acorns and have clustered buds at the tips of their branches. Aside from those features and a woody trunk, the oaks vary greatly. Some have fantastic fall color, and some are evergreen. Some species like the cherrybark oak, Quercus pagoda, can grow to 130’ in height with a relatively small crown, while another, the live oak, Quercus virginiana, can be more than 100’ wide without reaching 50’ in height. Yet several typically stay shorter than a human. Water oaks don’t often live more than 100 years, but the white oak and the live oak are reputed to live more than 1,000 years.

View the Oaks Gallery.