Quick question for the oak nerds: in North American urban plantings, which oak tends to host 400+ Lepidoptera species while holding up to heat and drought — your pick, and why? I’m weighing bur oak vs — white oak for a west-facing block in zone 6 and I care about canopy cooling and larvae forage.
I’d go bur oak for a hot west-facing strip; it still clears the “400+” club and in my zone 6 streets it handles heat/drought and hardscape better than Q. alba for steady canopy cooling. Plant it young — “no bigger than 1.5-inch caliper” — and deep-water the first two summers to drive the taproot, then it coasts. White oak probably edges it on total Lepidoptera, but it’s touchier in pavement heat — do you have a lot of reflected sun off asphalt?
I find it ridiculous how much debate there’s over oaks! I’ve had great luck with bur oaks in my zone 6 yard, but I’ve seen people rave about white oaks for their adaptability and beauty. It really depends on what you prioritize — do you want the best larvae forage or canopy cooling? @kbailey44, which one are you leaning toward after considering how they handle heat?