Quercus palustris Isabel - Pin Oak

Quercus palustris 'Isabel' is a new miniature form of the magnificent marsh oak, a wonderful variety that allows owners of small gardens to bring in all the splendor of Indian summer. With a remarkably compact habit, this shrub is adorned with foliage that has nothing to envy to that of its illustrious parent: its leaves, slightly smaller but beautifully cut and lobed, take on the same rich autumnal colours, blending deep red and bronze. While it is undemanding, the 'Isabel' pin oak will offer its most beautiful display in slightly acidic to neutral soil, and will thrive better in light soils that are not too clayey.

Native to the eastern and central United States, Quercus palustris is a large tree of the beech family, which can reach a height of 20 to 25m (65ft 7in to 82ft) with a spread of 12m (39ft 5in), with a conical habit. The cultivar 'Isabel' is a natural mutation of the pin oak recently obtained in the Netherlands. On average, this selection will reach 2.75m (9ft) in all directions at maturity and will not exceed 3m. Its habit is rounded and bushy, highly branched, slightly open, with the crown often wider than the base of the plant. The leaves, glossy, deeply divided into 5 to 7 lobes, somewhat resemble those of maples. They measure less than 10cm (3.9in) in length and 5-6cm (2-2.4in) in width. A lime green in spring, they darken in summer, and turn slightly brown before taking on magnificent autumnal hues that remain decorative for several weeks. Almost marcescent, the dry and brownish foliage persists on the branches for quite some time. This oak flowers quite early in spring, then produces a few almost round acorns in two years. Its bark is smooth, greyish, and its branches give rise to numerous slender and more or less thorny twigs that have earned it its name of 'pin oak'.

The 'Isabel' pin oak grows in any rich, well-drained soil, preferably without limestone, in an open position where it will be visible from afar. This miniature variety will express its full potential as a specimen placed not far from the house, in a shrub bed or even in a large container on the terrace. To surround it, choose other shrubs with foliage or flowers, the choice is vast: a winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'), Spireas with beautiful autumn colours, ground cover roses, dwarf buddleias, or even small silver-leaved willows, for example. This small oak, whose leaves are firmly attached to the twigs, is well suited for windy gardens: it will retain its beautiful autumn colours longer than Japanese maples, for example.