HortScience (Aug 2023)
Quercus texana ‘Jin Fen Shi Jia’: A New Colored Landscape Tree
Abstract
Quercus L. is an important tree of the family Fagaceae, and widely distributed in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas (Jiang et al. 2019). There are ∼500 species, which can be generally divided into two subgenera and eight sections (Chassé 2018). The section Lobatae is naturally distributed in North America, Central America, and Colombia in South America. There are reports of breeding horticultural cultivars from tree species of this section in Europe and the United States. These cultivars include different leaf colors and tree shapes, such as Quercus coccinea ‘Splendens’, Quercus palustris Pacific Brilliance™ ‘PWJR08’ (bright red leaves in autumn), Quercus texana ‘New Madrid’ (red leaves in spring), Quercus rubra ‘Aurea’ (yellow leaves in spring), Q. texana Highpoint® ‘QNFTA’, Q. palustris Green Pillar® ‘Pringreen’ and Quercus phellos Hightower® ‘QPSTA’ (have narrow crown and are densely branched), and Q. palustris ‘Green Dwarf’ (low tree-shape) (Iqbal et al. 2017; Lancaster 1977; Russell et al. 2021; Torres-Miranda et al. 2011). Q. texana, also known as Nuttall’s oak, is a medium-sized deciduous tree with rapid growth, strong adaptability, and high ornamental value (Costello et al. 2011). It belongs to the section Lobatae, which are native to the Mississippi River Basin in the southeastern United States (Barrón et al. 2017; Manos et al. 1999; Sargent 1918). The trunk of Q. texana is upright with a tower-shaped crown. The leaves of Q. texana are simple, with lobed and toothed margins, broad and rounded lobes, and leaf length of 10 to 15 cm. The leaves are green and give dense shade in summer, and then turn bright red or reddish-brown in autumn; the leaves remain until late in the year on the twigs. Q. texana is commonly used for landscaping purposes and timber production, fuel wood, firewood, and charcoal. The species is known for its straight grain, resistance to fungal decay, and overall durability, making it a desirable species for industrial applications such as flooring, paneling, and furniture (Wang et al. 2022). This species is often chosen for landscape applications because of its adaptable nature, rapid growth rate, and beautiful foliage. In recent years, researchers have been working to produce improved cultivars of Q. texana, and various new cultivars have been created with enhanced characteristics such as greater biotic and abiotic resistance, improved growth rate, and desirable foliage shapes and colors. In China, some institutes have conducted systematic research since the 1990s on the introduction and cultivation of Q. texana. After screening, we selected some cultivars and provenances with good growth and strong adaptability (Chen et al. 2013). Now there are five cultivars of Q. texana authorized by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (China): cultivars Yan Yu (red leaves in autumn), Long Xiang No. 7 and Long Xiang No. 10 (yellow leaves in spring), and Long Xiang No. 3 and Long Xiang No. 8 (red leaves in spring). The new cultivars possess excellent ornamental features and provide more options in landscape applications.
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