Post Oak Quercus stellata
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- KWER-kus stell-AY-tuh
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Post Oak is a deciduous tree that may grow 40 to 50 feet tall and is common in the poorer soils of the Piedmont but is also found in the mountains to an elevation of 2,500 feet. It is native to central and eastern USA. It has a dense rounded to irregular form with the upper branches and stems often being twisted and gnarled. The tree has alternate leaves with 5 lobes and a hairy, pale underside. The two middle lobes are distinctly square, resulting in an overall cruciform appearance.
Post Oak is tolerant of various soil types and prefers acidic well-drained soil in full sun. It is resistant to drought, fire and diseases. Use in the lawn as a shade tree, in naturalized areas or as a street tree. Oak trees will attract a variety of birds, moths, butterflies and mammals to your yard, providing them with food and shelter. 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: No pests or diseases of major concern but the tree occasionally succumbs to Chestnut blight and is susceptible to oak wilt.
Quick ID Hints:
- leaves alternate, simple, 4-8" long, 3-4" wide
- 3 prominent lobes at apex
- 2-3 broad leaf pairs, middle pair largest
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Quercus
- Species:
- stellata
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Wood is marketed as White Oak and used for construction timbers, posts and railroad cross-ties.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central and Eastern United States
- Distribution:
- AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV. Eastern and central United States: Massachusetts and New York south to Florida, and west to Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa.
- 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, blue jays, 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 mildly resistant to damage by deer.
- Edibility:
- Acorns are edible once the tannins have been leached or boiled out.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 35 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Irregular
- 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)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- more than 60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The brown, egg-shaped acorns are produced either solitary or in pairs and are either sessile or short-stalked. They are 1/2 to 3/4 inch long with caps extending to about one-third of the length of the acorn. The caps have small appressed scales that are light gray or light tan. Acorns are reddish-brown and ½ inch to 1 inch long. Displays from September to November.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Catkin
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- Male flowers occur in drooping yellowish catkins. Female flowers are shorter and occur near the tips of twigs. Also male green catkin. Blooms in April
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Leathery
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Insignificant
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Obovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leathery green leaves are 3 to 8 inches long with wavy to deeply lobed margins with pinnate and reticulated venation. The lobes are rounded and up to 4 on each side with the upper pair often much larger than the others giving it a maltese cross shape. Fall color varies from non-showy brown to yellow and leaves may persist into winter.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Ridges
- Scaly
- Bark Description:
- The bark is scaly in younger trees. Mature trees with gray to brownish-gray, rough-textured, and ridged with horizontal cross-breaks
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Buds:
- Hairy
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Branch bark and larger twigs are gray and more smooth, while smaller twigs and young shoots are pale brown and densely short-pubescent.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Native Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Street Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Diseases
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Fire
- Poor Soil
- Problems:
- Problem for Horses
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- Stomach pain, constipation and later bloody diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination if young leaves or raw acorns eaten.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Fruits
- Leaves
