| Category: |
Tree |
| Class: |
Perennial |
| Bark: |
The bark is reddish-brown and smooth on young trees, but as it matures, it becomes grayish-black and develops shallow, rough, furrowed ridges |
| Form: |
Crown is typically rounded and open |
| Flower: |
Insignificant |
| Bloom Color: |
Male flowers are yellowish, drooping catkins, while female flowers are less conspicuous |
| Fruit: |
Acorns are small, typically 1/2 to 3/4" long. They are light or yellowish-brown and enclosed at the base in a thin, saucer-shaped cap. Acorns take two years to mature |
| Foliage: |
The leaves are simple and alternately arranged on the twig. Their shape is highly variable, but they are often spatulate—broad and rounded at the tip with a narrow, wedge-shaped base. They can also be three-lobed or have smooth margins. The leaves are dull bluish-green on top and paler underneath. In the northern parts of its range, the leaves turn yellow in the fall before dropping, while in the deep south, they may remain on the tree through winter |
| Trunk: |
Trunk diameter of up to 3 ft. |
| Height: |
50 ft. - 80 ft. |
| Growth rate: |
Fast growing by short-lived (60 to 80 years) |
| Hardiness: |
Zones 8 to 9 |
| Light Requirements: |
Full sun but can tolerated partial shade |
| Soil Type: |
Thrives in wet, poorly-drained soils found in bottomlands, swamps, and floodplains, the water oak can also tolerate drier, well-drained sites and heavy, compacted clay soils. It prefers acidic soil. |
| Native Range: |
Southeastern Coastal Plain, from southern New Jersey to Florida and west to eastern Texas. It also extends north along the Mississippi Valley to Oklahoma and Missouri |
| Photographer: |
William Khoury |
| Latitude / Longitude: |
(32.48740008°N, -83.92373512°W) |
| Bed(s): |
TREES - 1 Plant; |