Plants: Quercus dentata 'Carl Ferris Miller' - Daimyo oak, Korean oak

Oaks are common trees of our natural woodlands. They border our ponds, occur naturally in our mixed forests, and make magnificent specimen trees in our parks and arboretums where less common species or rare varieties can be seen. Carl Ferris Miller is a beautiful variety of daimyo oak. It originates in Korea where it was found and named after a former US soldier who founded the Chollipo Arboretum in Korea.

Leaves of this rare daimyo oak are extra large and can reach up to 30 cm in length on adult trees. They are glossy, have rounded lobes, and are almost leathery, just like leaves on evergreen plants. This one, however, is deciduous but still it keeps its old foliage late into winter. The leaves are a nice shade of mid green colour in spring and summer, changing through red, orange, and yellow in autumn to a unique mix of salmon-orange that dries out slowly as the weather turns colder.

This oak grows medium fast, reaching about 6m in maturity in the climate of Central Europe and about half its spread. Therefore it is used in small and mid-sized gardens where it will make an exceptional specimen. Young plants make straight branches upwards forming a narrowly pyramidal crown that gets more rounded with age.

It will grow in any average, well-drained soil, pH value is not important. Fertilizing is not recommended. Newly planted trees need to be staked for 2-3 years to establish. Fully hardy to min. -25°C (USDA zone 6), perhaps a little more.

Size/type: medium-sized tree
Usual height: 4-6m
Usual width: 2-3m
Leaves: deciduous broadleaf
Colour of leaves: green
Flowers: insignificant or non-blooming
Location: full sun
Usda zone (lowest): 6 (down to -23°c)
Belongs to categories: deciduous broadleaf, rarities