Quercus cerris

• Attributes:

  Genus:

  Quercus

  Species:

  cerris

  Family:

  Fagaceae

  Life Cycle:

  Woody

  Country Or Region Of Origin:

  Europe, Western Asia

  Wildlife Value:

  Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), which have one flight from June-August everywhere but Florida where they emerge April-May. Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), has one flight from May-July in the south and June-July in the north. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has three to four flights in the south from February-November and two flights in the north from May-September. White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) has three broods in the north from February-October. Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) has three broods in Texas and the deep south from January-November, and two broods in the north from April-September. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) has one brood from April-June, appearing as early as January in Florida. Acorns are a fall and winter food source for some mammals.

  Dimensions:

  Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.

  Width: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.

• Whole Plant Traits:

  Plant Type:

  Tree

  Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Habit/Form:

  Pyramidal

  Rounded

  Growth Rate:

  Medium

  Maintenance:

  Low

  Texture:

  Medium

• Cultural Conditions:

  Light:

  Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)

  Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

  Soil Texture:

  Clay

  Loam (Silt)

  Sand

  Soil pH:

  Acid (<6.0)

  Neutral (6.0-8.0)

  Soil Drainage:

  Good Drainage

  Moist

  Occasionally Dry

  Available Space To Plant:

  24-60 feet

  more than 60 feet

  NC Region:

  Coastal

  Mountains

  Piedmont

  USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:

  6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b

• Fruit:

  Fruit Color:

  Brown/Copper

  Fruit Value To Gardener:

  Showy

  Fruit Type:

  Nut

  Fruit Length:

  < 1 inch

  Fruit Width:

  < 1 inch

  Fruit Description:

  The acorns are .5 to 1 inch long in groups of 1-4 with cups that cover 1/2 of the nut. Cup is bristly and fringed. Matures in 18 months.

• Flowers:

  Flower Color:

  Gold/Yellow

  Green

  Flower Inflorescence:

  Catkin

  Insignificant

  Flower Bloom Time:

  Spring

  Flower Description:

  Yellow-green male catkins. Female flowers in small clusters.

• Leaves:

  Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Leaf Color:

  Green

  Leaf Feel:

  Rough

  Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:

  Insignificant

  Leaf Type:

  Simple

  Leaf Arrangement:

  Alternate

  Leaf Shape:

  Lanceolate

  Oblanceolate

  Leaf Margin:

  Dentate

  Entire

  Lobed

  Hairs Present:

  No

  Leaf Length:

  3-6 inches

  Leaf Description:

  4"-5" long rough dark green lanceolate to oblong leaves. Margins are entire or toothed and have 3-8 pairs of lobes. Acute apex, base rounded to truncated. Hairs present on the undersides along the veins. They stay on the tree into late fall with little fall color.

• Bark:

  Bark Color:

  Dark Gray

  Surface/Attachment:

  Fissured

  Furrowed

  Bark Description:

  Dark gray ridged and furrowed bark reveals an orange color within its fissures

• Stem:

  Stem Color:

  Gray/Silver

  Stem Is Aromatic:

  No

  Stem Buds:

  Scaly

  Stem Bud Terminal:

  Cluster of terminal buds

  Stem Bud Scales:

  Enclosed in more than 2 scales

  Stem Surface:

  Hairy (pubescent)

  Stem Description:

  The young shoots are gray and tomentose. The branches have raised leaf scars. The buds are small and reddish-brown in clusters and the bud scales extend beyond the bud. Each bud has more than three scales.

• Landscape:

  Landscape Location:

  Coastal

  Lawn

  Landscape Theme:

  Butterfly Garden

  Drought Tolerant Garden

  Nighttime Garden

  Pollinator Garden

  Design Feature:

  Shade Tree

  Street Tree

  Attracts:

  Butterflies

  Moths

  Pollinators

  Small Mammals

  Resistance To Challenges:

  Drought

  Salt

  Problems:

  Messy

  Problem for Horses

• Poisonous to Humans:

  Poison Severity:

  Low

  Poison Symptoms:

  Abdominal pain, constipation then diarrhea (occasionally bloody), depression, frequent urination, discolored urine, jaundice; acorns can obstruct the digestive tract

  Poison Toxic Principle:

  Gallotannin

  Causes Contact Dermatitis:

  No