This small Mexican oak was first collected by John Fairey and Carl Schoenfeld in 1997 in Nuevo Leon, and was later collected again by John in 2006 in Tamaulipas. Growing up to 30 feet tall at maturity, Quercus laeta is rare in cultivation, but we want to see it planted in more Texas yards! The leaves are large, thick, and leathery, and emerge a beautiful light pink/peach color in early spring. The bark is textured and chunky. Two trees grown from seed from the 1997 and 2006 collection stand in our garden today, and they handle our freezes and droughts like champions! If you want to be able to brag to your neighbors about having a rare Mexican oak, then look no further than Quercus laeta (who is so uncommon in American horticulture that it does not have a common name). Plant in full sun and well draining soil. It is drought tolerant once established, but will need to be watered for its first two summers.
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