Highlights
Botanical Name
Quercus phellos
The willow oak is known for its dark bark with deep ridges and also its narrow leaves that undergo color shifts throughout the year – light green in the spring, dark green in the summer, and yellow bronze-orange, yellow-brown and russet-red in the fall. It provides needed shade in the hot summers of Washington, D.C.
There is one original willow oak tree still living on the U.S. Capitol campus today.
(Photo coming soon.)
About the Olmsted Originals
Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted's 1874 General Plan for the U.S. Capitol Grounds sought to create a setting to accentuate the monumentality of the Capitol Building. Approximately 45 of Olmsted's trees remain today, having endured more than a century of urban life on the front stage of American democracy.
Each tree has its own unique features and preservation challenges, and the Architect of the Capitol's arborists employ industry best management practices to ensure these trees are given the very best care to remain safely in the landscape for current and future generations to enjoy.