Silk Oak Tree Lifespan
- The silk oak tree reaches maturity after 15 to 20 years, though occasionally the tree can become mature after 10 years. After this time, it becomes more susceptible to disease, and often its growth is substantially slower. Plantations of silk oak trees can live up to 30 or 40 years--and some up to 50 years or more--when grown in the right conditions in the United States.
- The silk oak tree is quite a resistant tree in general. It can survive attacks by deer, as well as by common pests and by tree disease. The silk oak is also highly tolerant of pruning of both its branches and its roots. However, the tree's wood has been shown to be vulnerable to termite attack.
- The silk oak in its natural habitat in dry areas such as New South Wales and Queensland is used to not receiving a huge amount of water; in fact, it is capable of tolerating up to six months of drought at a time. That said, the tree does not boast a strong taproot and, in areas which get less than 30 inches of rainfall each year, the tree can suffer from the effects of moisture stress, culminating in the tree becoming more vulnerable to diseases in its later years. In areas prone to drought, the silk oak tends to die after 15 to 20 years. The silk oak can grow reasonably well in wet conditions and across a range of soil types, but prefers to be planted in loam or sandy soil.
- The silk oak tree is not tolerant of shade, and, in fact, has a tendency to actually damage seedlings of its own kind, as a result of the allelopathic substance that issues from its roots. This substance is toxic and leads to the blackening and eventual death of seedlings that fall too close to other, fully-grown silk oak trees.
- Being quite a weak wooded tree, the silky oak can be vulnerable to strong winds. In many cases, this vulnerability can lead to sections of the tree breaking off; for example, the tree might lose branches or leaves in great clumps, which can be irritating as these litter the ground around the tree.
