Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

Bur Oak

Quercus macrocarpa (KWER-kus ma-kro-KAR-pa)

Family: Fagaceae Native Canopy (>40 ft)

Bur oak is a large drought drought-resistant, long-lived and reasonably fast-growing oak. Its acorns have a bur or mossy appearance, hence the common name. Tolerates lime soils better than most oaks. It is native to the central plains and the Great Lakes regions of North America. It has been recorded as a waif in western North Carolina. The tree has strong branches, drought tolerance, winter hardiness, and freedom from serious insects or diseases. It prefers rich bottomland but is tolerant of poor soil conditions as rocky slopes and dry or clay soils if given full sun conditions. A long taproot makes it difficult to transplant. Use as a shade tree in a large yard, parks, library or other open areas where it has room to grow. It is a host plant for the larvae of the Imperial moth ( Eacles imperialis ) , as well as numerous butterflies, including Banded hairstreak ( Satyrium calanus ) , Edward's hairstreak ( Satyrium edwardsii ) , Gray hairstreak ( Strymon melinus ) , White-m hairstreak ( Parrhasius malbum ) , Horace's duskywing ( Erynnis horatius ) , and Juvenalis duskywing ( Erynnis juvenalis ) . Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems : Insect pests include borers, caterpillars, scale, nut weevils, oak skeletonizer, and leaf miner. Potential diseases include chestnut blight, anthracnose, oak leaf blister, cankers, powdery mildew, leaf spots, and oak wilt.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 74 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 1 - Canopy (>40 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Quercus bicolor Quercus imbricaria Quercus robur

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Native Plant; Perennial; Poisonous; Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 70 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in. | Width: 70 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Open; Rounded; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaf feel
Leathery
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
6"-12" long leathery dark green leaves above, greyish-green with finely dense pubescence below. The margins have 5-7 deep rounded lobes with the two middle sinuses nearly reaching the midrib dividing the leaf nearly in half. The base is wedge-shaped.
Fall color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Flower form
Catkin; Insignificant
Flower detail
Pollen flowers in drooping, elongated clusters. Male and female flowers are borne in separate catkins on the same tree. Flowers appear in spring as leaves emerge.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Nut
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
Acorns are large and oval up to 1 1/2 inches broad with 1/4 to 1/2 of the acorn enclosed in the deeply fringed cup. Resembles the spiny bur of a chestnut. Acorn mature in 1 year.
Bark color
Dark Gray
Bark detail
The bark is gray, very deeply furrowed and grooved with age and has vertical, flattened, narrow ridges.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Stem detail
Stems are stout, yellow-brown to brown-gray, bold-textured, and often slightly corky after the first year Multiple terminal buds are small, round, and may be somewhat pubescent often surrounded by thread-like stipules. The laterals are similar but smaller.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America
Distribution
AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , ND , NC, NE , NH , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SD , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV , WY Canada: AB , MB , NB , ON , QC , SK
Wildlife value
Bur oak is an excellent source of food for many wildlife species including deer, turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, and rodents. As it reaches maturity it provides protection and nesting for numerous species of birds. Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), which have one flight from June-August everywhere but Florida where they emerge April-May. Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), has one flight from May-July in the south and June-July in the north. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has three to four flights in the south from February-November and two flights in the north from May-September. White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) has three broods in the north from February-October. Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) has three broods in Texas and the deep south from January-November, and two broods in the north from April-September. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) has one brood from April-June, appearing as early as January in Florida.
Attracts
Butterflies; Moths; Pollinators
Play value
Shade; Wildlife Cover/Habitat; Wildlife Food Source; Wildlife Larval Host; Wildlife Nesting
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Nuts
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Nut

Edibility

Acorns (nuts) are edible after tannins are leached or boiled out

Uses (ethnobotany)

The valuable wood is used for cabinets, barrels, hardwood flooring, and fence posts.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Recreational Play Area
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Native Garden; Nighttime Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Shade Tree; Specimen; Street Tree
Garden tags
#deciduous #deer resistant #acorns #drought tolerant #shade tree #oak #hardy #parks #large tree #dendrology #lawn tree #leathery leaves #problem for horses #moth caterpillar host #banded hairstreak butterfly #imperial moth #juvenal’s duskywing butterfly #edward’s hairstreak butterfly #nighttime garden #white-m hairstreak butterfly #horace’s duskywing butterfly #larval host plant #gray hairstreak butterfly #butterfly friendly #full sun tolerant #pollinator plant #long lived #wildlife friendly #NC native #butterfly caterpillar host
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Common Insect Pests of Oak in North Carolina; Oak Pest Management Calendar
Disease problems
Common Disease Pests of Oak in North Carolina
Problems
Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Pollution
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Fruits; Leaves
Poison symptoms
Abdominal pain, constipation then diarrhea (occasionally bloody), depression, frequent urination, discolored urine, jaundice; acorns can obstruct the digestive tract
Toxic principle
Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Fruits; Leaves

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.

📍 Add a planting 📝 Add to wish list