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Cherry Bark Oak Quercus pagoda

Other Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Q. falcata var. pagodafolia
Phonetic Spelling
KWER-kus puh-GOH-duh
Description

Cherrybark Oak is a native deciduous tree and one of the most highly valued red oaks in SE USA. It is common in the Carolinas and can grow to 130 feet in the wild with a straight trunk and is relatively fast-growing. Regular branching forms a broad round crown of glossy, dark green foliage. Fall color is yellow-brown and the leaves drop in autumn. Acorns take 2 years to mature on trees at least 25 years old. The leaf shape is pagoda-like.

It grows best in moist, well-drained bottomland sites, but is adaptable to drier sites in full sun to partial shade. Useful as a shade tree in large areas, street tree or naturalized spaces

Pest:  Cherrybark oak is susceptible to oak wilt (Ceratocystis fagacearum). Heart rot in standing cherrybark oak trees generally is greater on poor sites than on good sites. Also susceptible to wood-boring insects and oak-tree galls. Hispidus canker (Polyporus hispidus) is common on cherrybark oak.

 

 

 

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#showy flowers#deciduous#shade tree#native tree#moth caterpillar host#ducks#street tree#pond margins#fire low flammability#NC native#wild turkeys#deer resistant#woodpeckers#blue jays#acorns#nighttime garden#bear friendly#oak tree#pollinator plant#Braham Arboretum#larval host plant#food source fall#food source herbage#Coastal FACW#Piedmont Mountains FACW#wet soils tolerant#bird friendly#food source hard mast fruit#mammals#butterfly friendly#problem for horses#Audubon#banded hairstreak butterfly#gray hairstreak butterfly#imperial moth#juvenal’s duskywing butterfly#edward’s hairstreak butterfly#white-m hairstreak butterfly#horace’s duskywing butterfly#wildlife friendly
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#showy flowers#deciduous#shade tree#native tree#moth caterpillar host#ducks#street tree#pond margins#fire low flammability#NC native#wild turkeys#deer resistant#woodpeckers#blue jays#acorns#nighttime garden#bear friendly#oak tree#pollinator plant#Braham Arboretum#larval host plant#food source fall#food source herbage#Coastal FACW#Piedmont Mountains FACW#wet soils tolerant#bird friendly#food source hard mast fruit#mammals#butterfly friendly#problem for horses#Audubon#banded hairstreak butterfly#gray hairstreak butterfly#imperial moth#juvenal’s duskywing butterfly#edward’s hairstreak butterfly#white-m hairstreak butterfly#horace’s duskywing butterfly#wildlife friendly
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Quercus
    Species:
    pagoda
    Family:
    Fagaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Excellent timber tree for furniture and interior finish. Due to cherrybark being very strong it is a desirable furniture wood.
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Woody
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Eastern Central & South East U.S.A
    Distribution:
    AL , AR , FL , GA , IL , IN , KY , LA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NJ , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA. Found in the southeastern United States from Maryland to Florida and over west into Texas, also found north into Indiana and Illinois.
    Fire Risk Rating:
    low flammability
    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. The Acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, blue jays, ducks, small mammals, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer and black bear.
    Play Value:
    Wildlife Food Source
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    Resistant to fire and moderately resistant to damage from deer.
    Edibility:
    Acorns can be eaten once the tannins have been leached or boiled out.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 90 ft. 0 in. - 130 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Native Plant
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Rounded
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    Medium
    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:
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Available Space To Plant:
    24-60 feet
    more than 60 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    6a, 6b, 7a, 8a, 8b, 9a
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Orange
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Type:
    Nut
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    This tree produces a 1/2" acorn with an orange-brown, hairy, scaly cap that covers about 1/3 of the nut. The acorn requires two growing seasons to reach maturity. Matures September to November.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Green
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Catkin
    Insignificant
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    Produces small, yellow-green, cylindrical, male flowers and small green female flowers on spikes. Blooms April to May
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Glossy
    Leathery
    Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Gold/Yellow
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Elliptical
    Ovate
    Leaf Margin:
    Lobed
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    The leaves are about 5-8" long and 3-5" across and have with 5-11 lobes which are acute and bristle tipped with shallow sinuses. When viewed upright it is said to resemble a Chinese pagoda. The upper leaf surface is dark green and glabrous, while the lower leaf surface is greyish-white and densely covered with fine star-shaped hairs. Leaves turn yellow-brown before falling in the autumn.
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Dark Gray
    Surface/Attachment:
    Ridges
    Bark Description:
    The bark is initially smooth but develops small scaly ridges which are quite rough. The mature bark resembles a cherry tree.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Gray/Silver
    Red/Burgundy
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Surface:
    Hairy (pubescent)
    Stem Description:
    Twigs are rather stout, reddish-brown to grey, usually hairy when young and becoming smooth as the tree matures.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Lawn
    Meadow
    Naturalized Area
    Pond
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Native Garden
    Nighttime Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Water Garden
    Design Feature:
    Shade Tree
    Street Tree
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Moths
    Pollinators
    Small Mammals
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Fire
    Problems:
    Problem for Horses