Two Worlds Oak

Two worlds oak is the hybrid between English oak and bur oak, a cross that combines the dignified form of the English oak with the toughness and alkaline tolerance of the bur oak. 'Crimschmidt' (Crimson Spire) is the cultivar that put this hybrid on the map: a narrow, columnar oak with dark green foliage that turns red-brown in fall, useful for sites where a vertical oak presence is wanted but lateral space is limited. It grows forty to fifty feet tall but only fifteen feet wide.

In Western Washington, Crimson Spire has gained traction as a street tree and narrow-space specimen where the column of an oak is wanted without the spreading crown. It tolerates urban conditions, a range of soils, and the stresses of streetscape planting. No significant disease or pest concerns are tracked. The hybrid vigor provides good growth rate and disease resistance. For a columnar oak that fits tighter spaces than any pure species can manage, this hybrid earns its place in the urban tree palette.