Quercus palustris Münchh.

Pin oak

Pin oak is native to the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada.

Plants: 59–72′ (18–22 m) tall, with a trunk up to 3′ (1 m) around. Bark is smooth and gray. The tree’s crown is roughly pyramidal, with the curious property that upper branches are ascending, mid-level branches roughly straight, and lower branches descending. In forests, lower branches may die off, breaking and leaving behind projections, hence the name “pin oak.”

Leaves: 1¾–6 ⨉ 1¾–4½″ (5–16 ⨉ 5–12 cm), with 5-7 lobes. Each lobe has 5-7 teeth. The sinuses—indented areas—are U-shaped and very deep. Leaves are hairless, apart from a distictinve tuft of pale orange-brown down on the lower leaf surface where lobe veins join the central vein. Leaves are glossy and dark green, becoming deep red in the fall.

Flowers: Yellow to greenish yellow staminate (male) and pistillate (female) catkins appear on the same tree (“monoecious“) in the spring,

Fruits: Acorns are rounded, to ½″ (1.3 cm), with caps that cover ¼ to ⅓ of the fruit. Acorn production begins when the three is 15-20 years old.

Habitats: Valleys, floodplains, and stream margins.

Online References:

Quercus palustris description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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