Master Gardener Program
Erika Johnson, Program Coordinator
erika.d.johnson@wsu.edu
(564) 397-5738

Catalog of Trees

Oregon White Oak – Garry Oak HT13

Tree Statistics
Common Name: Oregon White Oak – Garry Oak
Botanical Name: Quercus garryana
Trunk DBH (diameter at breast height): 4.75 feet
Height: 105 feet
Spread: 57.5 feet
Latitude: 45.583205
Longitude: -122.292950
Heritage Tree ID: HT13

Tree Location
Neighborhood: Washougal
(Columbia River Gorge – North of Gibbons Creek)
Sean and Karen Streeter
36861 SE Woodings Rd., Washougal, WA 98671
United States
View in Google Maps

Other related information:

A) The owners are fully in support of the application.
B) The owners welcome visitors to the tree by appointment only.
C) Contact erika.d.johnson@wsu.edu to arrange a date and time for a visit to this tree.

About This Species

​Oregon white oak, a member of the beech family (Fagaceae), is one of only four deciduous oaks native to the West Coast. The massive, branching trunks and broad crowns of old white oaks are characteristic features of valley woodlands in the Pacific Northwest. You will find them growing from Vancouver Island, British Columbia to Southern California.

Oregon White Oak is the only native oak in Washington State and British Columbia, and the principle native oak of Oregon. Drought tolerant, mature white oaks are fire resistant, an advantage compared to fire-prone firs and conifers. In our area they grow on the west side of the Cascade Range, primarily in the Willamette, Umpqua and Rogue River valleys, and along the Columbia River Gorge, as well in canyons adjacent to the Gorge.

This Tree and The Site History

Estimated to have started growing in the 1700’s, this white oak is an impressive example of its species and is cherished by the site owners. In 2006 the Streeter family acquired this 58-acre forested property in Washougal above the Columbia River. Since then, they have built a house sympathetic to the setting and cleared invasive blackberries. They have been lovingly restoring this scenic location from its previous life as a waste disposal site; every now and then discovering unexpected remnants of discarded vehicles. Through 2000 the property was logged including the removal of several large Douglas Firs. Historical photos of the property are contained in the Clark County archives.

A short distance west and complementing the approximately 250-year-old remarkable Garry Oak specimen, is a grove of roughly 25 additional large oaks. Their popsicle shaped forms resulted from their “reach for the sun” at a time when they were surrounded by shorter varieties of trees which are no longer present.

The property qualified for recognition by the WSU Extension Clark County Small Acreage Program for their implementation of clean water management practices. This delightful setting is home for the owner’s horses, cherry, plum and apple trees with the occasional bear making an appearance.

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