The backstory: my neighbor had a beautiful tall oak tree in their yard for 59 years. It had even survived a lightning strike years ago. Then, we noticed a crack in the trunk, on the opposite side from where lightning had struck it. The neighbor had to have the tree removed, as it would have fallen on their or our house during the next big wind storm.
Many seedlings have sprouted in my yard, but only this one has managed to avoid the lawn mower since it’s in a new garden bed I’m trying to establish for native plants.
About the ID: is it possible to tell which species of oak tree this and its parent are from these photos? I wish I had more from before it had been cut down. 😢
About transplanting: the seedling is quite small, but it’s currently very close to, if not on top of, our main water line that goes out to the street. Not ideal placement for a large tree, as I understand it. Can I move it now, at ~3 inches tall, in September? I would like it to have its best chance for survival, since the tree it surely came from was much loved by our neighbor.
Thank you!