Quercus phellos

• Attributes:

  Genus:

  Quercus

  Species:

  phellos

  Family:

  Fagaceae

  Life Cycle:

  Perennial

  Woody

  Recommended Propagation Strategy:

  Seed

  Country Or Region Of Origin:

  TX to n. FL, n. to s. IL & NJ

  Distribution:

  AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IL , KY , LA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NJ , NY , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA

  Fire Risk Rating:

  low flammability

  Wildlife Value:

  Mildly deer resistant. It is a host plant for the Banded Hairstreak, Edward's Hairstreak, Gray Hairstreak, White-M Hairstreak, Horace's Duskywing, Juvenal's Duskywing butterflies and many moths. Its acorns are eaten by woodpeckers, songbirds, ducks, small mammals, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, quail and black bears.

  Play Value:

  Edible fruit

  Wildlife Cover/Habitat

  Wildlife Food Source

  Edibility:

  Acorns (nuts) are edible after tannins are leached or boiled ou

  Dimensions:

  Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.

  Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.

• Whole Plant Traits:

  Plant Type:

  Native Plant

  Poisonous

  Tree

  Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Habit/Form:

  Oval

  Rounded

  Growth Rate:

  Rapid

  Maintenance:

  Low

  Texture:

  Fine

• 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)

  Soil pH:

  Acid (<6.0)

  Neutral (6.0-8.0)

  Soil Drainage:

  Good Drainage

  Moist

  Occasionally Dry

  Occasionally Wet

  Very Dry

  Available Space To Plant:

  more than 60 feet

  NC Region:

  Coastal

  Piedmont

  Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:

  5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

• Fruit:

  Fruit Color:

  Brown/Copper

  Fruit Value To Gardener:

  Edible

  Display/Harvest Time:

  Fall

  Fruit Type:

  Nut

  Fruit Length:

  < 1 inch

  Fruit Width:

  < 1 inch

  Fruit Description:

  The fruits are rounded acorn cups (to 1/2” long) with a bowl-like cap which is striated with brown and black bands.

• Flowers:

  Flower Color:

  Brown/Copper

  Gold/Yellow

  Green

  Flower Inflorescence:

  Catkin

  Insignificant

  Flower Bloom Time:

  Spring

  Flower Description:

  Yellowish-green male flowers as long catkins

• Leaves:

  Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Leaf Color:

  Brown/Copper

  Gold/Yellow

  Green

  Leaf Feel:

  Smooth

  Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:

  Brown/Copper

  Gold/Yellow

  Leaf Type:

  Simple

  Leaf Arrangement:

  Alternate

  Leaf Shape:

  Lanceolate

  Leaf Margin:

  Entire

  Hairs Present:

  No

  Leaf Length:

  3-6 inches

  Leaf Width:

  < 1 inch

  Leaf Description:

  5 inch long green leaves that are 1 inch wide and willow-like. Bristle tipped at the apex. Fall color is yellow-brown to red-brown.

• Bark:

  Bark Color:

  Dark Brown

  Dark Gray

  Surface/Attachment:

  Ridges

  Bark Description:

  The bark is gray-brown with shallow ridges and furrows

• Stem:

  Stem Is Aromatic:

  No

  Stem Surface:

  Smooth (glabrous)

  Stem Description:

  Branches and larger twigs are light gray to medium gray and relatively smooth, while small twigs are pale brown and smooth with scattered white lenticels.

• Landscape:

  Landscape Location:

  Coastal

  Naturalized Area

  Recreational Play Area

  Woodland

  Landscape Theme:

  Butterfly Garden

  Children's Garden

  Edible Garden

  Native Garden

  Rain Garden

  Design Feature:

  Shade Tree

  Street Tree

  Attracts:

  Butterflies

  Small Mammals

  Songbirds

  Resistance To Challenges:

  Deer

  Fire

  Pollution

  Salt

  Wet Soil

• Poison:

  Poison Severity:

  Low

  Poison Symptoms:

  Stomach pain, constipation and later bloody diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination.

  Poison Toxic Principle:

  Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.

  Causes Contact Dermatitis:

  No

  Poison Part:

  Leaves

  Seeds