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Quercusnigra Linnaeus. Subgenus:Quercus. Section:Lobatae. Subsection:Phellos. Water Oak, Paddle Oak. Phen: Apr-May; Sep-Nov (of the second year). Hab: Bottomland forests, especially on levees or second terraces where flooded infrequently and for short periods, less commonly on mesic slopes, but also now widely distributed and common as a "weed tree" in upland situations. Dist: Primarily a species of the Southeastern Coastal Plain: s. NJ south to s. FL and west to e. TX and se. OK, north in the interior to se. TN, c. TN, w. and sc. KY (Clark et al. 2005), se. MO, and e. OK.
ID notes:Seedlings and fire sprouts of this species are highly variable in leaf morphology; see discussion at end of generic treatment.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Fl2, FNA3, G, GW2, Il, K1, K3, K4, NcTx, RAB, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WH3, Hunt (1990); = Quercusaquatica Walter; > Quercusmicrocarya Small – S, S13; > Quercusnigra L. – S, S13; > Quercusnigra L. var. heterophylla (Aiton) Ashe – F; > Quercusnigra L. var. nigra – F
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Horticultural Information
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Height:50-80 ft.
plant sale text:As its name indicates, water oak is adapted to wet, swampy areas; however, it will tolerate a wide range of growing conditions, including well-drained sites or heavily compacted soils. It has a broad, rounded open canopy with bluish-green, spatula-shaped leaves. It is a medium-sized oak tree that is often used as a street tree or shade tree in urban areas. Water oak produces an abundant amount of small (~1/2" long) acorns, which are eaten by many species of wildlife. The genus Quercus supports up to 518 lepidoptera species.
