Scientific Name
Quercus mongolica
Mongolian oak is native to Japan, Korea, Mongolia and Siberia, so it is well suited to Denver’s winters. The two trees on the Regis campus came from a donor in North Dakota with extensive experience growing the species in a similarly cold climate.
It belongs to the white oak group, with acorns that mature in a single season. Growth is relatively slow, and the tree may eventually reach about 35 feet in height with a canopy nearly as wide. Branching tends to begin low on the trunk, and the twigs are stout. The leaves resemble those of chinkapin and chestnut oaks, with rounded, wavy lobes and a tendency to be widest near the middle or toward the tip.
Both trees spent about seven years in the nursery before one was transplanted near the baseball field in early 2023, allowing us to observe their fall color over time. The tree on this tour has shown bright orange color in most years, while another on campus tends to turn more yellow. Such variation between individuals, and from year to year, is common among oaks.