Oak Columnar 'REGAL PRINCE'

The Regal Prince oak (botanically Quercus × warei ‘Regal Prince’, also sometimes sold as Quercus x Regal Prince® or Quercus robur × bicolor ‘Long’) is a hybrid ornamental tree that is highly prized for landscaping, especially in urban or confined spaces.

🌳 Origin and hybrid tree

• It is a hybrid between the English pedunculate oak (Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’) and the American bicolor oak (Quercus bicolor).
• The hybridization aims to combine an elegant, columnar shape with good tolerance to urban conditions, disease, and environmental stress.

📏 Size and shape

• At maturity, it generally reaches ~12–18 m in height (≈ 40–60 ft) with a narrow width of ~5–7 m (≈ 15–25 ft).
• It has a naturally columnar or narrow oval shape with almost vertical branches, making it an excellent choice for driveways, screens, or small gardens.

🍁 Foliage, flowering, and fruit

• The leaves are dark green, glossy, and lobed, with a lighter, even silvery underside due to the influence of the two-colored oak.
• In fall, the foliage turns shades of yellow, orange, and golden brown, adding seasonal appeal.
• The flowers (not very ornamental) appear in spring in the form of yellow-green catkins, followed by acorns in autumn.

🌿 Growing conditions

• Exposure: prefers full sun.
• Soil: adapts well to a wide range of soils (clay, loam, well-drained, slightly moist or dry), with a preference for well-drained soil.
• Hardiness: USDA zones 4 to 9, which corresponds to cold winters down to about 34°F.
• Care: generally undemanding, with good resistance to common diseases such as powdery mildew, as well as certain insects.

🌆 Landscaping uses

Regal Prince is ideal for:

• Plant screens or dense tree hedges
• Driveways or borders thanks to its upright silhouette
• A single tree as a focal point in a landscape
• Urban or sidewalk plantings, where lateral space is limited

🌟 Advantages

✅ Slender, structured form suitable for small spaces
✅ Attractive foliage all year round with beautiful fall color
✅ Disease tolerance and good urban behavior
✅ Adaptable to different soils and climatic conditions