A Fast, Upright Oak Built for Boulevards and Smaller Yards

Regal Prince Oak (Quercus × warei 'Long') is a vigorous hybrid of English and swamp white oak that solves the oak's two classic drawbacks — slow growth and a sprawling crown. It grows faster than most oaks into a handsome upright-oval form just 25 to 30 feet wide, and it inherits the lustrous, silvery-backed bicolor foliage of its swamp white parent that shimmers in the breeze. Urban-tough and adaptable to both wet and dry soils, it's an increasingly popular boulevard oak. Hardy to zone 4, it brings the majesty and longevity of an oak to spaces too tight for the spreading natives. Whether you're lining a boulevard in St. Paul, anchoring a smaller lot in Plymouth, or planting a legacy shade tree in Woodbury, Regal Prince delivers oak grandeur in a manageable form.

Regal Prince Oak Plant Details

Regal Prince Oak Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Upright Oak for Boulevards and Tight Yards

At just 25–30 feet wide, Regal Prince fits boulevards, planting strips, and smaller lots where a broad native oak would never fit — giving you the dignity and longevity of an oak in a space-saving upright form for St. Paul or Plymouth.

Fast Legacy Shade Tree

Faster-growing than most oaks, it delivers shade and presence sooner while still becoming a long-lived legacy tree. Its strong upright structure stands up well to wind and snow load.

Tough, Adaptable, Wildlife-Friendly

Tolerant of wet and dry soils, road salt, and urban stress, Regal Prince thrives where many trees struggle, and its acorns feed deer, turkeys, and songbirds — adding wildlife value to a boulevard or yard.

Best Time to Plant Regal Prince Oak in Minnesota

Oaks are deciduous, so you have two good planting windows in the Twin Cities:

Spring (late April–May), once the ground has thawed, is ideal — oaks establish best with a full season ahead, and spring planting gives the strongest root establishment.

Fall (September–mid-October) also works. Plant at least six weeks before the ground freezes so roots can settle in. Avoid mid-summer planting, and never plant into frozen ground.

How to Plant Regal Prince Oak

1. Dig wide, not deep — the hole should be 2–3 times the root ball width but only as deep as the ball itself. In heavy clay, dig even wider.
2. Check drainage — Regal Prince tolerates wet and dry, but set the crown at grade and avoid planting in standing water.
3. Backfill with the native soil mixed with 20–30% compost. Don't create a pure-compost "container" in clay.
4. Set the tree so the top of the root ball sits at or just above grade. Handle oak roots gently — they resent disturbance.
5. Build a 3–4 inch water basin around the root zone to direct water to the roots; flatten it before winter.
6. Mulch with 2–3 inches of shredded bark or wood chips, kept 2 inches from the trunk, and wrap the young trunk the first winter or two.

Watering Regal Prince Oak in Minnesota

First Year Watering Schedule

Weeks 1–2: water every 1–2 days, deep and slow. Month 1–2: every 3–4 days. Month 3 through fall: every 5–7 days during active growth, less when rainfall is adequate. Stop watering 2–3 weeks before the ground freezes in late October so the tree can harden off for winter.

After Year One

Established Regal Prince Oak is quite adaptable and drought-tolerant, needing supplemental water mainly during extended dry spells (2+ weeks with no rain). Water deeply to 6–8 inches every 7–14 days during drought, and let natural rainfall do most of the work.

Will Regal Prince Oak survive a Minnesota winter? Yes — it's hardy to about -30°F and well adapted to the Twin Cities.

How is it different from a native oak? It's a hybrid bred for a narrow upright form and faster growth, so it fits tighter spaces and establishes quicker than the broad, slow native oaks — while still offering oak longevity, strength, and acorns.

How fast does it grow? Moderate to fast — noticeably quicker than most oaks, giving you shade and height sooner.

Does it handle wet soil? Yes — thanks to its swamp white oak parentage, it tolerates both wet and dry sites, making it versatile for varied Minnesota yards.

You May Also Like

• Kindred Spirit Oak — a very narrow columnar hybrid oak for the tightest spaces.
• Swamp White Oak — a majestic native oak that thrives in wet and dry soils alike.
• Bur Oak — the toughest, most majestic native oak for large landscapes.
• Crimson Spire Oak — a narrow columnar oak with red fall color.

How Many Regal Prince Oaks Do I Need?

One Regal Prince anchors a smaller yard — give a single tree 25–30 feet of clear width from buildings and other large trees. For a boulevard row or tall property-line screen, space trees 20–25 feet on center: a 100-foot frontage takes 5 trees at 25-foot spacing. A matched pair flanking a wide driveway entrance, set 30 feet apart, makes a stately gateway as the trees mature.

Regal Prince Oak Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: Glossy new leaves emerge with silvery undersides, with inconspicuous catkins that feed early insects; growth resumes faster than the broad native oaks.
• Summer: The dense upright-oval crown shimmers in the breeze as the bicolor foliage flashes silver, casting tall, narrow shade.
• Fall: Leaves turn yellow to russet and hold late; with age, acorns draw turkeys, jays, and songbirds.
• Winter: Some russet leaves persist on the strong vertical frame, adding texture and rustle against the snow — classic oak winter presence.

At a Glance

✔ Pollinator-Friendly   ✔ Salt-Tolerant   ✔ Drought-Tolerant   ✔ Rain-Garden / Wet-Soil   ✔ Four-Season Interest

Plant It With

• Kindred Spirit Oak — its even narrower sibling (same hybrid parentage) for the tightest side yards and strips.
• Swamp White Oak — the native parent species; plant it where you have room for the full spreading form.
• Bur Oak — Minnesota's iconic prairie oak for the open part of a larger property.
• Crimson Spire Oak — another columnar hybrid whose red fall color contrasts with Regal Prince's yellow-russet.

Is Regal Prince Oak Right for Your Yard?

Regal Prince thrives in full sun in nearly any Minnesota soil — wet or dry, clay or alkaline — and needs about 30 feet of width, far less than a spreading native oak. It's the right pick if you want true oak longevity on a boulevard or smaller lot. Protect young trunks from deer and buck rub. It's not a fit if you need a tree under 30 feet tall for a spot under wires, or want fast deep shade over a wide patio — a broad maple covers more ground sooner.