USDA Organic Regal Prince® Oak

Regal Prince Oak is the tall, dark, and handsome tree your landscape has been dreaming of! This strong and sturdy columnar Oak tree is perfect as a specimen where horizontal space is limited, and a row of Regal Prince Oaks along your property line makes an impressive boundary marker and privacy screen. Closely planted, a border of trees will block views and dampen noise and wind. When the wind does blow, the glossy, deep green leaves will flutter gracefully, flashing their pale silvery-green undersides. This hybrid Oak tree adapts to many types of soils and planting conditions and grows just as happily in the country as it does along the mean streets of the city.

Tree hybridizers are patient people. It can take decades to know if a certain cross is worth introducing. Back in 1974, legendary tree man Earl Cully of Jacksonville, Illinois (best known for his much-loved introduction, Heritage® River Birch) collected acorns from a Columnar English Oak × Swamp White Oak cross he’d made. He raised 1,000 seedlings from that batch; only 6 made the cut. Regal Prince® was one of the chosen few, though it didn’t receive the final stamp of approval—a patent of its own—until 2002. Worth the wait.

Always wanted an Oak tree but never thought you had the room for one? Want and ye shall receive! Strong, narrow and upright branching allows this Oak to be planted in tight, less than typical Oak tree planting locations. Dark green leaves and outstanding form makes this a very unique specimen tree for a landscape of any size. Regal Prince® Oak has the upswept look of a Columnar English Oak, but it has inherited many improvements from its American Swamp White parent. Whereas English Oak’s leaves are often mildewed by summer, Regal Prince’s® stay squeaky clean. Regal Prince® is also much more cold-hardy than purebred English Oaks (it has endured -30°F without a shiver), and its branches are stronger than just about any tree you can name, as its Swamp White parent has the strongest wood of any oak. This is one sturdy, vigorous, handsome, long-lived, easy-care tree!

Tread lightly, shrink your footprint, and let yourself grow with USDA Certified Organic Trees. Organic farming has sprung up drastically in importance and influence, spreading worldwide the philosophy of deeply rooting nature in harmony and enriching the soil we stand upon. Benefitting the gardener, enhancing biodiversity, preserving nature's wildlife, and a true direction to protecting our environment. Choosing organic trees on your property, whether they are fruit, nut, ornamental, or shade trees, begins with their soil and cultivates change taking root in your backyard. Take one BIG TREE step for your garden, and one giant leap towards a greener world.

What does it mean to be USDA Organically grown?

• USDA Organic crops are grown exclusively on land that has gone without having non-USDA Organic approved substances applied for three years.
• No pesticides for us, please! Organically grown crops are highly regulated on what can and cannot be used for pest control—worried about harsh chemicals that have been sprayed on your plant? There is only a small number of approved synthetic chemicals that are allowed to be used. Otherwise, farmers use strict biological, mechanical, and physical management practices.
• Not just any type of seeds are used to grow and harvest organic plants: farmers can only use organic seeds or organically raised seedlings in their organic fields.
• Only the best handling is allowed! Organic and non-organic crops are not allowed to be commingled or near each other. Cross-contamination can occur, botching the organic plant's purity due to non-organic substances that could have been sprayed on non-organic harvests; this would cause the organic plant to be considered compromised.
• Fields are carefully cultivated through crop rotation and proper tillage practices to ensure that the soil and the soil's nutrients are kept at a happy balance. Animal manure, not sludge, is allowed to help infuse the soil with nitrogen to support the growth of the organic crops.