Post Oak
Quercus stellata Wangenh.
Also known as Iron Oak.
Mature Size: 40 to 50 feet in height and 1 to 2 feet in diameter.
Form: Dense, round-topped crown with twisted and gnarled branches.
Habitat: Rocky or sandy ridges and dry woodlands.
Leaves
Alternate, simple, 4 to 6 inches long, deeply divided into five rounded lobes separated by broad sinuses; the two largest lobes are straight across from each other, at 90 degree angles from the end lobe, giving the leaf a distinctive T-shape..
Flowers
Males yellow-green, in 2 to 4 inch, hanging catkins; females reddish, in short spikes from leaf axils; both appear with the leaves.
Fruit
Oval acorn, ½ to 2/3 inch long, one third to one half covered by a saucer-shaped scaly cup, maturing in one season.
Bark
Ashy gray and initially quite scaly, later becoming more blocky and ridged, often with horizontal cross-breaks in the ridges.
Twigs
Gray or tawny, slightly hairy, dotted with numerous pores; clustered end buds short, blunt, orange-brown, somewhat fuzzy.
Values and Uses
The wood is heavy, hard, close-grained and resistant to decay. It is used for lumber, flooring, veneer, trim moldings, mine timbers, railroad ties, fence posts, pulpwood and fuel. The acorns are eaten by a variety of wildlife and the leaves are used for nest building by squirrel, birds and raccoons. Post oak is drought-tolerant and is often used in urban landscaping and to stabilize poor, erodible soils.
Did You Know?
The common name, post oak, refers to the wood's historic use in strong, rot-resistant fence posts.
