Description
- Mature Size: 50 to 70 feet in height, 1 to 2 feet in diameter
- Form: Straight trunk with pyramid-like crown; lower branches droop, middle branches are almost horizontal, and upper branches ascend slightly; numerous spur-like twigs give the tree a spiky appearance
- Habitat: Poorly drained river edges and floodplains, typically on clay soils
- Leaves: Alternate, simple, 3 to 5 inches long, 2 to 5 inches wide, with 5 to 9 pointed lobes separated by variable, but often wide, sinuses extending nearly to the midvein; scarlet fall color
- Flowers: Males are in slender, drooping, yellowish-green catkins; females are reddish green, on short spikes; both appear in spring with the leaves
- Fruit: Rounded acorn, ½ inch long, striped, and flattened at the cap end; cap is thin and saucer-like, covering up to one-third of the acorn; maturing in two seasons
- Bark: On young trees, smooth and grayish-brown; later developing narrow, dark gray, flat-topped ridges separated by very shallow furrows
- Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, shiny; end bud is clustered, small, pointed and chestnut brown
- Values and Uses: The wood is hard and heavy, but somewhat knotty. It is used for rough lumber and firewood. Waterfowl, turkeys, jays, woodpeckers, and squirrels eat the acorns. Pin oak is a popular landscape tree because of its fast growth, ease of transplanting, tolerance of urban stresses, and good fall color.
- Did You Know? This tree’s common name comes from its pin-like twigs. Pin oak can tolerate flooding during its dormant season and may form pure stands in poorly drained, low-lying areas.