Habitat

• eastern, central and southern U.S.
• zone 5

Habit and Form

• 50 to 75' tall
• pyramidal in youth
• oval, rounded or gum drop-shaped when mature
• branching is upright and spreading
• lower branches can hang down much like pin oak

Summer Foliage

• simple, unlobed leaves
• alternate leaf arrangement
• leaves are 3" to 6" long 1.0 to 1.5" wide
• matured summer foliage is a very dark, lustrous green
• attractive, high quality, summer foliage

Autumn Foliage

• yellow-brown
• brown leaves persist on the tree into winter

Flowers

• monoecious
• pendulous yellow-green catkins (male)
• blooms in May
• messy

Fruit

• small acorns
• 0.6" long
• take two years to mature (black oak group)

Bark

• gray brown color
• develops shallow furrows and ridges

Culture

• fairly easy to transplant for an oak
• full sun
• tolerant of urban conditions
• prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soils, but quite adaptable
• can be hedged

Landscape Use

• shade tree
• specimen
• naturalizing
• hedging and barriers
• can be a very beautiful tree

Liabilities

• possible twig kill in severe winters
• leaves persist on tree into winter

ID Features

• unlobed leaves distinguish it from many oaks
• retained leaves in winter
• small acorns

Propagation

• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

• none