Black Oak
Introduction
The black oak is a large, stately tree that is a great nutritional source for wildlife. Its inner bark has a yellow tint to it that sometimes causes it to be called “yellow oak.” .
Common Name
Black oak
Latin Name
Quercus velutina
Leaf
Alternate, simple, ovate in shape with 5 to 7 bristle-tipped lobes; lustrous shiny green above, paler with a scruffy pubescence below
Flower
Male flowers are borne on slender yellow-green catkins; female flowers are reddish green and borne on short spikes in leaf axils
Fruit/nut
Ovoid acorns, enclosed in a bowl-shaped cap that consists of loosely-pressed scales, light brown and fuzzy
Twig/branches
Stout and red-brown to gray-green, buds are very large, buff-colored, fuzzy, pointed and distinctly angular
Bark
At first gray and smooth, becoming thick and very rough, nearly black and deeply furrowed vertically with horizontal breaks
Form
A medium sized tree to 80 feet with an irregular crown and a tapering trunk
Size
Usually grows 60 to 80 feet tall
Native Range
Eastern North America from southern Ontario, south to northern Florida and southern Maine, west to northeastern Texas
Type
Medium to large deciduous
Seasonal Colors
The black oak turns to a red-yellow color in the fall
Soil
Prefers well-drained, silty clay to loam soils
Light
Intermediately tolerant to shade
Similar Species
Northern red oak, scarlet oak, Shumard oak, cherrybark oak
Pests and Diseases
Oak wilt is a potentially serious vascular disease, and shoestring root rot attacks black oak and may kill trees weakened by fire. The gypsy moth feeds on foliage and is potentially the most destructive insect.
Rebate Eligibility
$100
Of Note
Historically, the inner bark was important for its tannin and as a source of yellow dye.
Photo Credits
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