Oak, Black

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SIU 150th logo

This tree is one of the 150 trees initially included in the arboretum to coincide with the campus's 150th anniversary celebration.

Scientific Name:
Quercus velutina

Cultivar:

Native to:
Florida to Texas north to Maine, Ontario, Michigan and Minnesota

Mature Height and Width:
50-60 feet by 50-60 feet

Additional Notes:
Among the native oaks, black oak stands out as having the greatest variation in leaf shape within an individual tree, and typically even from one leaf to the next on the same branch.  A common pattern though is that the leaves growing in the shade, or near the bottom of the crown, are jagged in shape than those receiving more exposure to sunlight.

Photos: