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Quercus velutina (Black Oak)

Black Oak, Quercitron Oak, Yellow Oak, Smoothbark Oak, Yellowbark Oak, Quercus tinctoria

Quercus velutina, Black Oak, Quercitron Oak, Yellow Oak, Smoothbark Oak, Yellowbark Oak, Tree with fall color, Fall color, Attractive bark Tree
Quercus velutina, Black Oak, Quercitron Oak, Yellow Oak, Smoothbark Oak, Yellowbark Oak, Tree with fall color, Fall color, Attractive bark Tree

Quercus velutina (Black Oak) is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree with an irregularly rounded crown. The large leaves, 10 in. long (25 cm), feature 7-9 deeply incised lobes. Glossy dark green above and paler underneath, they turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange, or brown in the fall. Inconspicuous yellow-green catkins appear in spring before or as the leaves emerge. They give way to solitary or paired elliptic acorns adorned with fringed cups that cover up to 1/2 of the acorn. They are a valuable food source for small mammals and birds, including squirrels, white-tail deer, mice, voles, and turkeys. The young shoots and large terminal buds are covered with a dense, gray pubescence. Deeply furrowed on mature specimens, the tannin-rich, almost black outer bark hides yellow to orange inner bark, producing bright yellow dye. Native to eastern and central North America, Black Oak is quite adaptable and grows on poor, dry, sandy, and heavy clay soils in the wild. Black Oak is not extensively planted as an ornamental, but its fall color contributes greatly to the esthetic value of oak forests. Black Oak makes an excellent shade or lawn tree for large areas.

  • Grows up to 50-60 ft. tall and wide (15-18 m).
  • Performs best in full sun in deep, fertile, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil. It grows best on moist, rich, well-drained soils, but it is often found on poor, dry, sandy, or heavy glacial clay hillsides, where it seldom lives for more than 200 years.
  • Perfect as a specimen plant.
  • Keep an eye out for oak wilt, chestnut blight, shoestring root rot, anthracnose, oak leaf blister, canker, leaf spot, powdery mildew, scale, oak skeletonizer, leafminer, galls, oak lace bugs, borers, caterpillars and nut weevils.
  • Toxic to horses.
  • Propagate by seed or grafting in mid-autumn or late winter. It is difficult to transplant because of its because of its deep taproot.
  • Native and widespread in eastern and central North America.

Requirements

Hardiness 4 - 8
Heat Zones 1 - 8
Climate Zones 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Trees
Plant Family Fagaceae
Genus Quercus
Common names Black Oak, Oak
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 50' - 60'
(15.2m - 18.3m)
Spread 50' - 60'
(15.2m - 18.3m)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low, Average
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Southeast, Southwest, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Tolerance Dry Soil
Attracts Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Quercus douglasii (Blue Oak)
Quercus chrysolepis (Canyon Live Oak)
Quercus myrtifolia (Myrtle Oak)
Quercus laurifolia (Laurel Oak)
Quercus phellos (Willow Oak)
Quercus hemisphaerica (Darlington Oak)

Recommended Companion Plants

Fraxinus americana (White Ash)
Juglans nigra (Black Walnut)
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood)
Sassafras albidum (Sassafras)
Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
Amelanchier arborea (Downy Serviceberry)
Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)
Hamamelis virginiana (Virginian Witch Hazel)
Lindera benzoin (Spice Bush)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

Native Plant Alternatives to Quercus acutissima (Sawtooth Oak)
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 4 - 8
Heat Zones 1 - 8
Climate Zones 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Trees
Plant Family Fagaceae
Genus Quercus
Common names Black Oak, Oak
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 50' - 60'
(15.2m - 18.3m)
Spread 50' - 60'
(15.2m - 18.3m)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low, Average
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Southeast, Southwest, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Tolerance Dry Soil
Attracts Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow
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Do I Need?
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Quercus (Oak)
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