The Ever Popular Pin Oak Tree
One doesn't hear the term Pin Oak tree all that often. Ironically, the popularity of the tree is probably the reason for that. It is so widely used in both residential, commercial, and urban landscaping that it is simply known as an "oak tree".
A Deciduous Tree That Keeps Its Leaves - The Pin Oak tree, like all oak trees, is deciduous, but is rather stubborn when it comes to losing its leaves. the Pin Oak tree is one of those trees that tends to hang on to its leaves all winter, even though the leaves are have turned brown and are dead, and not shedding them until new leaf buds are ready to open. More than one first time owner of a young Pin Oak has probably thought their tree has died after its first season. As the tree matures, it will still tend to keep its leaves, though mainly on the lower branches.
Aside from being a large and attractive tree, the Pin Oak tree is one of the more rapidly growing oaks. If you plant one in your yard, you don't have to wait 40 years to get some decent shade. The tree will grow 2 to 3 feet a year, and at times even faster. When mature, a Pin Oak will attain a height of between 60 and 80 feet, with a spread of 40 to 50 feet, and is a tree that needs plenty of room. As it grows, the tree tends to lose its lower branches, something an owner needs to be aware of, though the branches will die back long before they drop off. It is a handsome tree in the fall, doing its part as far as fall colors are concerned as the leaves turn copper and red.
The Pin Oak tree does well in USDA Zones 4-8. It is considered to be somewhat of a lowland tree in that it usually doesn't do well at elevations above 1,000 feet. This is a tree that doesn't seem to mind having wet feet, though may not do well in a truly swampy area. Although it is often claimed that the Pin Oak will do well in a wide range of soils, it does best when planted in a slightly acid soil. If the soil is too alkaline, the leaves may start to turn yellowish and the tree may grow with less vigor than normal.
A Popular Urban Tree - The Pin Oak tree has a pyramidal shape and the lower branches normally slope downward at a 45 degree angle, although for some cultivars the branches extend out horizontally. The crown of the tree is usually very symmetrical and a number of trees planted in the same area will generally closely resemble one another as far as the shape of their crowns is concerned. Pin Oaks are very popular in urban settings, either as street shade trees or for planting in islands in parking lots. A significant percentage, a third by some estimates, of the urban landscaping trees in New York City are believed to be Pin Oaks.
The wood of the Pin Oak tree is generally not suitable for building or woodworking applications as the wood tends to warp, and is considered by some to be fairly weak. Aside from landscaping, where its true value lies, the Pin Oak tree is often used for fuel and wood pulp. The tree can be propagated from cuttings or from acorns. The latter have a reasonably high germination rate. They are usually collected and planted in the fall, germinating the following spring. In the wild, germination is greatest when the soil surrounding the parent tree is especially moist, even soggy. The Pin Oak tree lives up to the phrase “from a tiny acorn, a giant oak tree grows”, and does it with seeming ease.