S & J Nursery’s
Guide to Growing Overcup Oak
in the Northeast Florida Landscape
( Quercus lyrata )
Overcup Oak / Quercus lyrata Origins:
– Northeast Florida Native plant selection.
– Overcup Oaks have a nice rounded to oval shape and decoratively cut foliage that turns a coppery yellow in the fall. These smaller scale Oak trees are perfect for smaller area gardens where larger growing Oaks would tend to crowd out the space. One of my favorite Oaks for Northeast Florida ,
Jacksonville and St. Augustine area, overcup oaks really should be planted more but are often overlooked by growers and not nearly as widely available at garden centers as they should be! Very pretty trees with a nice
branching structure and a non invasive root system.
Overcup Oak Preferred Exposure:
– full sun to partial sun and partial shade
Overcup Oak Foliage | Bark:
– Overcup is a deciduous tree with its foliage turning a coppery yellow in the fall before dropping its leaves for the winter season.
– Grayish brown bark is smooth when new and textured with age.
Overcup Oak / Quercus lyrata Soil Preference / Salt tolerance:
– Overcup Oaks are tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions, wet.
poorly drained, acid, sandy dry soils etc.
– not salt tolerant
Overcup Oak / Quercus lyrata Size Variance:
– Although these trees can get much larger in Florida they are generally seen at 30-40 feet high and 30-40 feet wide.
Overcup Oak / Quercus lyrata Growth Habit:
– upright rounded to oval shaped crown that is taller than it is
wide.
Overcup Oak / Quercus lyrata Growth Rate:
– Moderate to fast growing Oak tree
Overcup Oak / Quercus lyrata Bloom:
– inconspicuous blooms followed by .5 to 1 inch acorns that attract squirrels and other wildlife to your yard!
Overcup Oak / Quercus lyrata Water Requirements:
– Regular water
Butterfly or Bird Attracting:
– bird and squirrel attracting
Best Uses For Overcup Oak / Quercus lyrata in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscape:
– Overcup Oak / Quercus lyrata is a good choice for a fast
growing Oak or low maintenance larger scale shade tree in any soil condition found in the North Florida |Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscape, including soils that are consistently wet.
– Decorative cut, large 4-8 inch leaves and a rounded to oval shape make this an attractive landscape tree year round.
– Unlike many Oak trees, the Overcup does not have a problematic root system making them more paver, driveway and patio friendly that many other species of Oak.
Care of Overcup Oak / Quercus lyrata:
– water every day during the establishment period. See watering your newly planted trees for more information.
– provide a 1 ft diameter circle of mulched area where grass is kept from growing for each inch of caliper (or diameter) of trunk measured 4 inches from the ground level.
– fertilize each spring with a mixture of Milorganite and a slow release poly
coated plant food such as Osmocote or Stay Green general purpose plant food, sprinkling the fertilizer around the mulch circle underneath the foliage of the tree.