controlled by the annual removal of leaves and
branches throughout the tree, a type of pruning
known as chirashi. The tree’s dense, hard wood
was historically used to make hand tools and
bokken, wooden training swords used in martial
arts. Even today, drumsticks made of bambooleaf
oak are readily available.
In the wild, Quercus myrsinifolia can reach
60 feet tall or more; in cultivation, the tree is
smaller, usually reaching between 30 and 50 feet.
Narrow when young, the tree gradually develops
a compact-rounded crown. Its glossy, leathery
leaves are lance-shaped, about 2½ to 4 inches
long, and finely toothed on their upper halves.
Drooping—and held alternately on the stem—
the leaves emerge a deep crimson color rather
late in spring and then mature to medium green
with paler green undersides. Other features
include olive-brown young shoots, smooth
silvery-gray bark, and that broad, horizontally
ribbed, elephantine trunk I mentioned.
Bamboo-leaf oak blooms in May, with two
kinds of flowers: upright, somewhat inconspicuous
female flowers that appear in the upper part
of the tree, and male flowers that grow lower
down and resemble golden catkins. The female
flowers develop into egg-shaped acorns, one
half-inch to one inch long, held in groups of two
to four. Each acorn’s cap features three to six
concentric rings.
Quercus myrsinifolia has no serious pests or
diseases, adapts to varied soil and light conditions
(full sun to partial shade), and—once
established—is remarkably tolerant of heat and
drought. It’s also one of the most cold-tolerant
of the Asian evergreen oaks, hardy to at least
USDA Zone 7 (minimum temperature 0 degrees
Fahrenheit). Surprisingly, its drought-tolerance
is greatest when summer temperatures are
high—not what you’d expect of a tree adapted to
high summer rainfall. In areas with less reliable
summer heat, the tree performs best in full sun,
and with good drainage and regular irrigation.
The first planting of Quercus myrsinifolia at
the Seattle Japanese Garden occurred in 1960,
the Garden’s inaugural year. A gift from Carl
S. English, Jr., the plant sadly failed to establish.
Fortunately, the next two attempts were
successful: an 18-inch plant, received in 1960
from the U.C. Davis Arboretum and planted
out in 1967; and a six-inch seedling, received in
1963 from Donald Stryker, of Langlois, Oregon,
planted in about 1971. Currently, the Garden’s
two trees constitute half of the Washington
Park Arboretum’s collection of Quercus
myrsinifolia. (Other local specimens can be
found at the Ballard Locks and in Redmond’s
Marymoor Park.)
In the Summer 1990 issue of the “Arboretum
Bulletin,” which honored the Seattle Japanese
Garden’s 30th anniversary, Arthur Lee Jacobson
wrote that our two trees were “superbly healthy
and handsome year round.” Thirty years later,
they are still thriving.
Though Quercus myrsinifolia is rare in the
United States, its adaptability and cold hardiness
are becoming more well known, and some
specialty nurseries have begun to offer it. I wish
I had space for this magnificent tree in my
own garden. m
Corinne Kennedy is a retired garden designer,
Seattle Japanese Garden guide, Elisabeth C.
Miller Library volunteer, and member of the
“Bulletin” Editorial Board. She’s also a regular
contributor to the SJG blog.
Elegant patterns of spaces and views
that unfold over time.
Landscape Architecture
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