Intro:

Stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) reddish-brown, (1.5-)2.5-4.5(-5) mm wide, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous. Leaf scars half-round, bundle scars numerous, stipule scars inconspicuous, stipule scars not circumferential. Bark of mature trunks furrowed or ridged. Buds axillary or terminal, bud clusters at ends of twigs present, brown or gray, 6-12 mm long, ellipsoid or ovoid or ovoid-conic, sharp, pubescent, bud scales imbricate.

Leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate or spiral, (10-)12-25(-35) cm long, 8-15 cm wide, obovate or oval or ovate, leaf margins serrate, shallowly lobed or moderately lobed or deeply lobed, pinnately lobed, leaf lobes 5-9 per leaf, leaf apices acuminate or acute or apiculate or obtuse, leaf bases cuneate or oblique or obtuse or truncate. Leaf upper surface green, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent, stellate. Leaf lower surface brown or green, glabrate or pubescent or with tufts in vein axils, stellate. Leaf venation pinnate. Petioles (1-)2.5-7(-8) cm long, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Stipules present, caducous, not circumferential.

Inforescence: Inflorescences axillary, catkins or flowers solitary or spikes, flowers sessile.

Flowers: Flowers unisexual, epigynous. Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, synsepalous. Sepals (2-)6(-8) per flower, caducous. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens (2-)6(-12) per flower, separate. Gynoecium. Ovaries inferior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 3 carpels per flower, styles 3 per pistil, placentation axile. Other floral features. Hypanthia present, involucres present.

Fruits: Fruits accessory fruits or acorns or nuts, 1.2-2.5 cm long, brown or reddish-brown, fruit maturation 2 years.

Comments: Staminate flowers in pendent catkins, pistillate flowers solitary or in few- to many-flowered spikes; pistillate flowers enclosed by a scaly involucre which develops into the acorn cup.

Height: to 80 feet x 40 feet

plant sale text: Black oak is well suited to our slightly acidic, rich soils. The bark is deeply furrowed, very dark, with an orange inner bark. The lobes of its leaves are bristle tipped, deep glossy green in the peak of summer, and a modest reddish brown in the fall. Its small acorns of are a valuable food source for wild turkeys, deer, squirrels and grouse. Black oak is long-lived, slow growing and forms an irregular crown at maturity. Excellent plant where a shade tree is preferred. The Quercus genus supports up 518 species of lepidoptera.

bloom table text:

description:

stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) reddish-brown, (1.5-)2.5-4.5(-5) mm wide, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous. Leaf scars half-round, bundle scars numerous, stipule scars inconspicuous, stipule scars not circumferential. Bark of mature trunks furrowed or ridged. Buds axillary or terminal, bud clusters at ends of twigs present, brown or gray, 6-12 mm long, ellipsoid or ovoid or ovoid-conic, sharp, pubescent, bud scales imbricate.

leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate or spiral, (10-)12-25(-35) cm long, 8-15 cm wide, obovate or oval or ovate, leaf margins serrate, shallowly lobed or moderately lobed or deeply lobed, pinnately lobed, leaf lobes 5-9 per leaf, leaf apices acuminate or acute or apiculate or obtuse, leaf bases cuneate or oblique or obtuse or truncate. Leaf upper surface green, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent, stellate. Leaf lower surface brown or green, glabrate or pubescent or with tufts in vein axils, stellate. Leaf venation pinnate. Petioles (1-)2.5-7(-8) cm long, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Stipules present, caducous, not circumferential.

inflorescence: Inflorescences axillary, catkins or flowers solitary or spikes, flowers sessile.

flowers: Flowers unisexual, epigynous. Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, synsepalous. Sepals (2-)6(-8) per flower, caducous. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens (2-)6(-12) per flower, separate. Gynoecium. Ovaries inferior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 3 carpels per flower, styles 3 per pistil, placentation axile. Other floral features. Hypanthia present, involucres present.

fruits: Fruits accessory fruits or acorns or nuts, 1.2-2.5 cm long, brown or reddish-brown, fruit maturation 2 years.

comments: Staminate flowers in pendent catkins, pistillate flowers solitary or in few- to many-flowered spikes; pistillate flowers enclosed by a scaly involucre which develops into the acorn cup.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: eastern & central N. America