Latin name: Quercus fusiformis.

Varietal denomination: ‘Joan Lionetti’.

Quercus is a large genus of the plant family Fagaceae consisting of approximately 600 species of trees and shrubs native to the Northern Hemisphere. In English, these plants are ordinarily referred to as oaks. Various oaks find usage for timber in the production of hardwood lumber, construction timbers and for cooperage. Oaks constitute important wildlife trees, providing habitat for many native animals as well as producing acorns used as food by both by humans and animals. Oaks mature into attractive, long lived trees frequently utilized in landscape plantings. The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Quercus fusiformis, an evergreen oak native from southwest Oklahoma, through Texas into northeast Mexico. Quercus fusiformis is also known as Texas Live Oak, Escarpment Live Oak and Plateau Live Oak. For many years, selected open pollinated seedlings of this species have been sold under the cultivar name ‘Heritage’ live oak. Quercus fusiformis is the most cold hardy Live Oak, tolerating temperatures down to −10 F. Texas Live Oak possesses excellent tolerance to alkaline, somewhat saline soils and to droughty conditions, resulting in this species being widely utilized in managed landscapes throughout the southwestern United States.

In 2003 the inventor grew out a lot of 5000 seedlings in a cultivated area near Sahuarita, Ariz. From these plants, one individual possesses the unique combination of dark colored leaves, dense crown structure, upright growth form and excellent adaptation to local conditions with low mast production which is the object of this application.

Among the features that distinguish the new Quercus fusiformis ‘Joan Lionetti’ cultivar from all other available and commercial varieties of Texas Live Oak known to the inventor are the following combination of characteristics: dark green colored leaves, dense upreaching crown structure, excellent adaptation to local conditions and relatively low mast production, resulting in lessened debris accumulation in the landscape.

Quercus fusiformis ‘Joan Lionetti’ will be used as an ornamental or shade tree well adapted to conditions found throughout the southwestern United States.

The propagation procedure for ‘Joan Lionetti’ is as follows: ‘Joan Lionetti’ is asexually propagated from semi-hardwood cuttings. Semi-hardwood cuttings are prepared (basally deleafed, about 4 inches long) and wetted in DIP'N GRO™, then placed into a peat medium substrate in spring or summer in a humidity controlled mist greenhouse with internal temperature between 70 and 85 F. Cuttings root within about 6 weeks.

The growth rate of the ‘Joan Lionetti’ Texas Live Oak is medium.

The foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted throughout succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions, such that the phenotype may vary with variations in environmental conditions without a change of the genotype of the plant.

The following is a detailed description of the new Quercus fusiformis plant based upon measurements from a 9 year old plant growing near Sahuarita, Ariz. At age 11 the tree was reexamined at age 11, Color descriptions are based upon the 5^th edition R.H.S. Colour Chart. Color names other than common usage are as listed in COLOR Universal Language and Dictionary of Names, by Kenneth L. Kelly and Deane B. Judd; National Bureau of Standards special publication 440. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards, December 1976.

Compared to the only other commonly available Texas Live Oak, the open pollinated ‘Heritage’ oak, ‘Joan Lionetti’ is consistent with its dense, upright form, dark green color and excellent adaptability. ‘Heritage’ oak, while selected for plant form, is inconsistent in growth form and characteristics, color and adaptability, and a portion of all the trees in a planting commonly fail over a period of years. ‘Improved Heritage’ oak is expected to provide a more consistent tree in the landscape due to its clonal nature.