Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- KWER-kus ma-kro-KAR-pa
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Bur oak is a large drought resistant, long-lived and reasonably fast-grower for an oak. Its acorns have a bur or mossy appearance hence the common name. Tolerates lime soils better than most oaks. It is native to the central plains and the great lakes regions of North America. The tree has strong branches, drought tolerance, winter hardiness, and freedom from serious insects or diseases. It prefers rich bottomland but is tolerant of poor soil conditions as rocky slopes and dry or clay soils if given full sun conditions. A long taproot makes it difficult to transplant.
Use as a shade tree in a large yard, parks, library or other open areas where it has room to grow.
It is a host plant for the larvae of the Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis), as well as numerous butterflies, including Banded hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), Edward's hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), White-m hairstreak (Parrhasius malbum), Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), and Juvenalis duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis).
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Insect pests include borers, caterpillars, scale, nut weevils, oak skeletonizer, and leaf miner. Potential diseases include chestnut blight, anthracnose, oak leaf blister, cankers, powdery mildew, leaf spots, and oak wilt.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Boomer'
Use in multi-row windbreaks, reforestation for watershed protection, and wildlife habitat plantings. - 'Lippert'
Use in windbreaks, as a landscape plant for urban and recreational areas, and for wildlife food and shelter. - var. depressa
Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota; trees with thinner and smaller cups - Var. depressa
Occurs western margin of the great plains - Var. macrocarpa
Occurs over most of the range with thick large cups
- 'Boomer'
- 'Boomer', 'Lippert', var. depressa, Var. depressa, Var. macrocarpa
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Boomer'
Use in multi-row windbreaks, reforestation for watershed protection, and wildlife habitat plantings. - 'Lippert'
Use in windbreaks, as a landscape plant for urban and recreational areas, and for wildlife food and shelter. - var. depressa
Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota; trees with thinner and smaller cups - Var. depressa
Occurs western margin of the great plains - Var. macrocarpa
Occurs over most of the range with thick large cups
- 'Boomer'
- 'Boomer', 'Lippert', var. depressa, Var. depressa, Var. macrocarpa
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Quercus
- Species:
- macrocarpa
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The valuable wood is used for f cabinets, barrels, hardwood flooring, and fence posts.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North America
- Distribution:
- AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SD , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV , WY Canada: AB , MB , NB , ON , QC , SK
- Wildlife Value:
- Bur oak is an excellent source of food for many wildlife species including deer, turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, and rodents. As it reaches maturity it provides protection and nesting for numerous species of birds. 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.
- Play Value:
- Shade
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Wildlife Nesting
- Edibility:
- Acorns (nuts) are edible after tannins are leached or boiled out
- Dimensions:
- Height: 70 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 70 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Open
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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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)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Acorns are large and oval up to 1 1/2 inches broad with 1/4 to 1/2 of the acorn enclosed in the deeply fringed cup. Resembles the spiny bur of a chestnut. Acorn mature in 1 year.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Catkin
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- Pollen flowers in drooping, elongated clusters. Male and female flowers are borne in separate catkins on the same tree. Flowers appear in spring as leaves emerge.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Leathery
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 6"-12" long leathery dark green leaves above, greyish-green with finely dense pubescence below. The margins have 5-7 deep rounded lobes with the two middle sinuses nearly reaching the midrib dividing the leaf nearly in half. The base is wedge-shaped.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Ridges
- Bark Description:
- The bark is gray, very deeply furrowed and grooved with age and has vertical, flattened, narrow ridges.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Bud Terminal:
- Cluster of terminal buds
- Stem Surface:
- Corky Ridges
- Stem Description:
- Stems are stout, yellow-brown to brown-gray, bold-textured, and often slightly corky after the first year Multiple terminal buds are small, round, and may be somewhat pubescent often surrounded by thread-like stipules. The laterals are similar but smaller.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Native Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Specimen
- Street Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Pollution
- Problems:
- Problem for Horses
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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:
- Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Fruits
- Leaves
