Meet the Bur Oak
Bur Oak | Quercus macrocarpa
How do you know it’s me?:
I am a large deciduous tree.
My alternate leaves are 6” - 12” long, typically with 5-9 rounded lobes. The undersides are slightly fuzzy.
My acorns are larger than most, with fringed caps that extend halfway down the nut.
I have a rounded and spreading shape, and my lower branches tend to be more horizontal, sometimes growing towards the ground.
My gray bark is rough and deeply furrowed.
How big do I grow?: 70’ - 80’ height and 70’ - 80’ spread.
Sun-seeker or shade-lover: Full Sun.
Where I prefer to put my roots: Dry to medium, well-drained loam soils. I can adapt to a wide range of soils, and am tolerant of alkaline soils and drought.
Hardiness: Zone 3-8.
Original home: I am native to eastern, northern, and central North America.
Colors: I can have yellow fall color.
When I bloom: My spring flowers are not showy. They appear in spring as my leaves emerge.
Wildlife friends: My acorns are a preferred meal for many woodland creatures, including turkeys, deer, rabbits, rodents, and squirrels. I am also a larval host for several species of moths and butterflies.
Flora Fun Facts: The national champion bur oak (according to American Forests) lives in Berrien County, Michigan. It is 91’ tall with a trunk diamter of almost 9’.
More Info: This classic Midwestern tree is famous for its toughness, as well as its acorns - a key feature to tell it apart from other white oak types. The nut is covered with a burly head of hair, that looks like a toboggan hat with a fur-lined brim.
A member of the Fagaceae (Beech) family.
It may take up to 35 years for a Bur Oak to bear its first acorn crop.
Also known as a Mossycup Oak (due to the acorn’s frilly caps.)
Can live 200-300 years.
The state tree of Iowa.
The Bur Oak’s natural range is wider than other eastern North American oak species - ranging farther to the north (through Canada) and west (to the foothills of the Rockies).
This tough tree grows from the eastern woodlands to the Midwest prairies, where it can survive the flames of prairie fires and long periods of drought.
A great choice for parks, large yards, and other expansive green spaces.
Bur Oak wood is valued for cabinetry, barrels, flooring, and fencing.
